Sports
Nepal stun mighty Jordan
Nepal got off to a flying start in their AFC Under-16 Championship Group ‘B’ Qualifiers with a stunning 2-1 victory over regional giants Jordan here at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium on Wednesday.Binod Pandey
Nepal got off to a flying start in their AFC Under-16 Championship Group ‘B’ Qualifiers with a stunning 2-1 victory over regional giants Jordan here at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium on Wednesday.
Striker Rejin Subba was the hero of the game, who struck in the 27th and 69th minutes before Nepal survived a few nervy moments in the closing stages of the game once Mohammad Omar Abuawad replied for Jordan with one minute left in game. However, Nepal held on for their first ever victory against Jordan in any age-group or senior level match.
“This was an important game, not only for us but the entire country too. This victory carries a huge significance for Nepali football,” an ecstatic Nepali skipper Manish Karki said. “This result
must have instilled a huge amount of excitement in Nepali football supporters. The victory came according to our game plans.”
The victory generated hopes for Nepal to qualify for the Finals as winners from a tough group that also includes Oman and hosts Kyrgyzstan. Nepal will meet Kyrgyzstan in their second match on Friday where a victory can put them in a pole position to qualify for the Finals.
While the winners from each of the 11 groups qualify for the Finals, four best runners-up will also make it through along with India—who have already qualified as hosts but are still competing in the Qualifiers.
Jordan took the early initiative with two attacks in the first four minutes but after that Nepal seized control of the game. Prozen Tamang had an opportunity to put Nepal ahead in the fifth minute but his weak shot was not enough to beat Jordan goalkeeper Abdallah Ra’ed Mahmoud.
Subba’s goal came as a result of constant pressure exerted by Nepal. Abhishek Rijal managed to beat an advancing Mahmoud but his shot was cleared by Jordan defense with the ball falling to unmarked Subba who slammed in a beautiful volley to put Nepal ahead. Nepal created more scoring chances but were unable to penetrate the Jordan defense.
The match was in complete control of Nepal after Tamang was replaced by forward Dinesh Henjan in the 35th minute with Ashok Thapa setting the ball from the midfield. Subba then doubled the lead in the 69th minute with his powerful drive leaving Mahmoud with hardly any time to react.
“I knew I needed to score but against a strong team like Jordan, I didn’t how it was going to materialise,” said Subba. “I had scored few goals during our warm-up games against some strong teams in Nepal and that might have given me more confidence,” the goal scorer added.
As clock was ticking away, Jordan hit back through their 73rd minute substitute Abuawad in the 92nd minute to give Nepal some scary moments. Nepali custodian Arpan Karki consequently made a beautiful save to end the team’s wait for victory.
Nepal coach Upendra Man Singh was all praise of his boys. “The boys gave their 100 percent today. We had certain plans for the game and the boys executed them to perfection. They have been together for a long time and it forged a good coordination between them,” said Singh revealing that his side played under pressure at the early stages of the game.
“There is no comparison between Jordan and Nepal in terms of skills, physique and facility. So I was pretty nervous to face them and instructed my players to get cautious for the first 10 to 15 minutes. I think we were lucky because of the way Jordan played. We fully utilised our chances and they didn’t,” added Singh.
The result was unbelievable for Jordan coach Abdullah Ketati. “I would like to congratulate Nepali team for the victory. Luck deserted us today. I cannot believe that we came up with this result, we never expected it. Its football and anything can happen in this game,” said Ketati who praise Nepali footballers.
“The Nepali players were pretty quick and their pace forced our defenders to make errors. They exchanged short passes and the wings were swift as well. Their counter move was even dangerous,” said Ketati.