Nepali football team on Friday gave the country something to cheer about in the times of crisis by winning the Bangabandhu Gold Cup in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which also marks the end of their 23-year title drought.

In a pulsating final at the Bangabandhu National Stadium, Nepal defeated Bahrain U-23 team 3-0 to savour the title glory. The last time they had won the gold was in 1993 South Asian Games—at the same venue.

It was Nepal’s third international title since they won the first Saff Games in 1984.   

Bimal Gharti Magar, Bishal Rai and Nawayug Shrestha scored one goal each. Immediately after Nepal registered the win, social networking sites were abuzz with words of praise for the footballers.

The clinical victory also comes at a time when Nepali football is on a slide, struggling to recover from the recent match-fixing scandal and corruption. “This is a historic day, and it’s time for us to forget off-field scandals and move ahead,” coach Bal Gopal Maharjan told the Post from Bangladesh.

Former national team skipper Raju Kaji Shakya, who led Nepal to the 1993 SA Games gold, said, “This victory has sent out a positive message to the masses about the game.”

Nepal made a bright start in the game when striker Bimal Gharti Magar put them in front in the fifth minute of the game. Gharti Magar, the U-19 skipper, nudged the ball into the nets from the goal mouth in a rebound after Bahrain goalkeeper Mahaboob Aldoseri saved a header from Anjan Bista. Bahrain’s first real opportunity in the match came in the 24th minute when a free-kick from Mohammad Aimar hit the wall and the forward fed Abdullah Abdullah at the penalty spot, but his shot was blocked by a diving Nepali custodian Bikesh Kuthu.

Both teams were reduced to 10 men after 76th minute substitute Suman Lama and Al Thawail were involved in an altercation.

Shrestha, who won the most valuable player and highest scorer award, notched up his fourth goal of the event heading home a high ball from Gharti Magar in what was almost an empty post. Gharti Magar was named the man-of-the-final. The champions also pocketed $50,000. The All Nepal Football Association on Friday announced Rs 500,000 each to the 23-member Nepali squad, while the National Sports Council had already declared Rs 200,000 each to the team members.