football

By a Staff Reporter Kathmandu - Departmental team Tribhuvan Army Club lifted the title of Makwanpur Gold Cup on Monday defeating the local Bijay Youth Club of Hetauda. Army defeated Bijay Youth Club 2-1 in the final held at Piple Campus Stadium to win the title for the second consecutive time. Army’s captain Bharat Khawas and Kamal Bahadur Thapa were on target to help the departmental team lift the title. Dona Thapa scored a goal for Bijay Youth Club. Army took the lead with a goal from skipper Khawas in the 15th minute. He scored the goal in a pass from Tek Bahadur Budhathoki. Bijay Youth Club equalized ten minutes later after Yuddha Shahi fouled Bimal Rana in the penalty box. The referee granted penalty to Bijay Youth Club and Dona Thapa did not miss the chance to equali...

By a Staff Reporter Kathmandu - Nepali football team’s chief coach Abdullah Al Mutairi has been discharged from hospital after his health condition was found to be normal. Al Mutairi  was hospitalized after he collapsed during Nepal’s AFC Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers match against Kuwait on Saturday. He was admitted to Farwania Hospital in Kuwait after he fell unconscious during the match. Nepal’s team manager Madhusudhan Upadhyay informed that the chief coach’s condition is normal right now. “The doctors had earlier said that he needs to be hospitalized for one day but they later suggested that he can be discharged,” said Upadhyay.

By a Staff Reporter Kathmandu - Nepal registered second consecutive defeat in the third round of AFC Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers after suffering a 4-1 defeat against hosts Kuwait on Saturday. Yousef Nasser scored twice in the Group A match played at the Jabir Al Ahmed Stadium in Kuwait while Fahad Alresidi and Mubarak Alfanini scored one goal each.   Nepal's Darshan Gurung scored a consolation goal for Nepal in the dying minutes of the game.   Nepal was under pressure from the beginning and conceded a goal in the 28th minute as Alresidi opened the account for the hosts. The first half ended with the hosts taking a 1-0 lead. Kuwait doubled the lead in the 48th minute with a goal from Nasser. On the other end, Nepal’s captain Navyug Shrestha’s shot hi...

By a Staff Reporter Kathmandu - A young squad of Nepal conceded two second-half goals as heavyweight Jordan inflicted a 2-0 defeat to their opponents in their AFC Asian Cup 2023 qualifier match on Wednesday.  Although the Nepali football team which did not feature 11 senior players held on for a draw in the first half, they conceded goals in the second half to suffer their first defeat in Group A of the qualifiers. Goalkeeper Deep Karki and defender Bikash Tamang had made their debut in the match held at Jaber Al Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait. The new line-up of Nepal was under constant pressure from the experienced Jordan side during the entire match. Deep Karki had saved a penalty in the first half but Jordan made the breakthrough in the second half and then extended t...

By a Staff Reporter Kathmandu – Nepal will face a strong opponent Jordan in the third phase of AFC Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers tonight (Wednesday). The match against Jordan will be held at Kuwait’s Jabir Al Ahmad Stadium at 1 am on June 9 (1 o’clock tonight as per NST). Nepal, which is without 11 senior players, will be testing young players against Jordan. Regular captain Kiran Chemjong and vice captain Rohit Chand are among the 11 senior players excluded from the team following a row with Chief Coach Abdullah Al Mutairi in late April. Nepal has adopted a strategy of holding the strong opponent to a draw in order to share the spoils. As the senior players are not included in the final squad of Nepal, at least three to four young players are expected to get a chance for debut. ...

By a Staff Reporter Kathmandu - Four players of league champions Machhindra FC will be playing the Maktanpur Gold Cup from Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC). The players of Machhindra playing from MMC include national team members Bimal Gharti Magar (forward), Bishal Rai (midfielder), Sujal Shrestha (winger) and Bishal Shrestha (goalkeeper). The club allowed the players to play from MMC as Machhindra FC is not participating in the event. Bishal Rai, Sujal Shrestha and Bishal Shrestha had left MMC and joined Machhindra during the 2019 A Division League. This is the first time that the players are returning to their former club after leaving MMC. Bimal Gharti Magar, on the other hand, had played other tournaments from MMC before. Another footballer Pujan Hona has also sig...

Agency Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata will follow Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard through the exit door at Old Trafford when his contract expires at the end of the month, the Premier League side announced on Thursday. According to Reuters, the 34-year-old Spaniard moved to United from Chelsea in January 2014 and made 285 appearances, winning the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League during an eight-year spell. A skilful playmaker, Mata managed 51 goals and 47 assists for United but failed to consistently replicate the form that made him an indispensable part of Chelsea's attacking set-up. "Thank you for dedicating eight years of your career to United, Juan. Everyone at the club wishes you all the best for the future," United said in a statement.

Agency Portugal striker Ricardo Horta grabbed a late equaliser to earn his side a 1-1 draw with Spain in their Nations League opener at Estadio Benito Villamarin on Thursday. According to Reuters, Alvaro Morata had given Spain the lead but Horta's goal ensured the great rivals drew for the fourth time in a row. Portugal have not won a competitive game against Spain since 2004 and have never beaten them on Spanish soil. "It tastes good because Spain is strong and we were playing away. It was a good result for Portugal," Reuters quoted midfielder Bernardo Silva as saying. Spain made a lively start in the League A Group Two match when midfielder Gavi had a chance from outside the box in the third minute but his effort was blocked. Portugal defender Pepe did well to stop mi...

Agencies Argentina marked the revival of the Cup of Champions in style as an inspired Lionel Messi helped them outclass Italy 3-0 in a heavyweight clash billed as the 'Finalissima' at a raucous Wembley Stadium on Wednesday. According to Reuters, first-half goals by Lautaro Martinez and Angel di Maria put the south American champions in complete control against an Italy side who were back at Wembley 11 months after beating England to win the delayed Euro 2020. With thousands of their supporters in the 87,000 crowd determined to turn north west London into Buenos Aires for the night, captain Messi set up two goals as Argentina proved simply too quick and slick for the lumbering Azzurri, the news agency further reported. Martinez tapped home from close range in the 28th minut...

Agencies Real Madrid secured a record-extending 14th European Cup when they beat Liverpool 1-0 in a Champions League final delayed for more than half an hour after police tried to stop people trying to force their way into the Stade de France on Saturday. According to Reuters, Vinicius Junior scored just before the hour with Real's first attempt on goal and their goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made several fine saves to deny Liverpool, who end the season with two domestic cups having also failed to win the Premier League. In a battle of European heavyweights, Juergen Klopp's side had more chances but lacked sharpness when it mattered as Carlo Ancelotti became the first coach to enjoy four European Cup triumphs having won the trophy with AC Milan and Real twice, leapfrogging Live...