Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) crashed out of the semi-finals of the Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup football tournament with a 1-0 loss against TC Sports Club of Maldives at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong, Bangladesh, on Monday.

After squandering a number of goal scoring opportunities from both the sides, an unfortunate 83rd minute goal separated the two teams. MMC goalkeeper Dinesh Thapa Magar failed to grasp a long cross into the area from almost the midfield. The ball instead rebounded off Magar’s body onto the TC Sports skipper Nafiu Ali’s chest, which in turn rebounded onto the net.

Earlier, MMC striker Olawala Oladipo Afeez should have done better than to shoot inches wide of the target in the 18th minute. And two minutes later TC Sports’ Nepali international goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong denied Sujal Shrestha converting from a freekick.

MMC themselves got a great reprieve in the 22nd minute as Hasan Ibrahim Waheed missed a sitter after nicely set by TC Sports skipper Ali. MMC skipper Anil Gurung also wasted a chance after set up by Bikram Lama in the 28th minute. In a see-saw half, Waheed again came close to giving the Maldivian outfits lead one minute into injury time only to see his attempt sail wide.

Chemjong was key to TC Sports being in the match as he denied MMC on a number of occasions notably in the 55th minute when he punched out a superb Sujal Shrestha strike that appeared to crash onto the roof of the net. But despite getting better scoring chances, MMC suffered a telling blow in the 83rd minute that separated the two teams.

MMC coach Chirring Lopsang Gurung said a minor error from his goalkeeper cost them the match. “Further-more, we missed too many easy opportunities,” said Gurung. MMC had made it to the last four as the Group ‘B’ runners-up while TC Sports had finished on top of the Group ‘A’. TC Sports will play for the championship with either Chittagong Abahani or and Pocheon FC.