Nepal register 1st football victory after 2013

Nepal won an international match after two years at the expense of Sri Lanka at the Bangabandhu Gold Cup in Bangladesh on Wednesday.

Nepal striker Bimal Gharti Magar’s early score was enough for Nepal to win the game against their South Asian rivals Sri Lanka.

It was the first victory of Nepal in any international football match after their 2-1 win over India in the SAFF Championship in Kathmandu in 2013.

In today’s match, Nepal, however, missed a host of chances to double the lead as strikers failed to capitalise on the opportunities.

Nepal defeated the Sri Lankans to extract the revenge as they had lost an important SAFF Suzuki Cup group game against the Lankans in the dying minutes of the game.

With the victory today, Nepal top the group A score table with four points after two games and  Sri Lanka languish in the bottom of the chart and are on the way back to the Indian Island.

Earlier, Nepal had played a goalless draw with the Felda United of Malaysia on Saturday, January 8.

After being declared the Man of the Match, the sole scorer Magar, speaking at the presentation ceremony, thanked his teammates and his family for their support, looking forward to seeing the next challenge against the hosts on Friday.

Nepal would play their next match against Bangladesh on Friday.

Nepal’s participation in this tournament is expected to add impetus for the upcoming South Asian Games in India next month.