Sports
Army oust Three Star in quarter-finals
Three Star Club’s return to domestic football failed to do any wonders as their star-studded side crashed to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Tribhuvan Army Club in the quarter-finals of the Khaptad Gold Cup football tournament here on Thursday.Three Star Club’s return to domestic football failed to do any wonders as their star-studded side crashed to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Tribhuvan Army Club in the quarter-finals of the Khaptad Gold Cup football tournament here on Thursday.
Goals from Nawayug Shrestha and Suman Aryal was sufficient for TAC to send the Lalitpur-based outfit packing after their second game in the first domestic tournament they played in more than a year. Three Star had been boycotting football ever since they were deprived of participation in the AFC Cup playoffs due to negligence from All Nepal Football Association.
After they were promised of Rs 15 million compensation by the football governing body, Three Star had decided to take to the field and bolstered their squad by the inclusion of national team stars Bimal Gharti Magar and Ananta Tamang along with three African recruits for this tournament but that was not enough to stop the departmental giants.
Shrestha put Army ahead early in the sixth minute to put Three Star on the backfoot. Three Star pressed hard to get back the equaliser and created nearly half a dozen chances in the first half. Buddha Chemjong, Nirajan Khadka, Gharti Magar, Bikram Lama and Ajayi Martins wasted scoring chances before the break.
Army, who have won Satashi Gold Cup and Kakarbhitta Gold Cup to have a perfect start to the season, doubled the advantage in the 49th minute with little known Aryal firing home the second goal. Khadka cut the deficit four minutes later to lease some life in the game. Three Star then kept exerting pressure in the remainder of the game but failed to find the back of the net. Army skipper Bharat Khawas was declared the-man-of-the-match and won Rs 10,000.
Army coach Nabin Neupane said that early score helped his side win the match. “The team could not perform to its potential due to new (unfamiliar) ground with cold weather also affecting the performance. But the result came in our favour. We will improve in upcoming matches,” said Neupane. Three Star coach Meghraj KC pointed to the ‘small mistakes’ for conceding both goals. “Despite performing better we made minor errors. We kept opponents under pressure in the second half but failed to score.”
Rupandehi XI will take on Manang Marshyangdi Club in the third quarter-final match on Friday. The winners between of the match will meet Army in the semi-finals.