By a Staff Reporter
Kathmandu – Philippines claimed victory over Nepal in an international friendly match held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila, Philippines.
In a closely contested encounter, the hosts, Philippines, outplayed the visiting team, Nepal, with a narrow 1-0 win on Thursday. Javior Goyoso’s solitary goal proved to be enough for the Philippines to secure a victory.
Nepal had an opportunity to take an early lead when Arik Bista unleashed a shot from just outside the box in the 14th minute, but it narrowly missed the target, grazing the post.
In the 23rd minute, Nepal failed to convert a promising chance as Ayush Ghalan failed to connect with Anjan Bista’s cross. Nepal struggled to create significant opportunities in the first half and conceded the decisive goal early in the second half.
Pujan Uperkoti’s failure to clear the ball from a corner within the six-yard box allowed Javier Gayoso to capitalize on the mistake and direct the ball into the net in the 49th minute.
In the 62nd minute, Ananta Tamang came close to bringing Nepal back into the game with a powerful header off Arik Bista’s free kick, only to see it strike the crossbar. Ananta had another opportunity in the 88th minute, but his header was expertly saved by the Philippines’ goalkeeper.
Following the match, Nepal will now head to Bengaluru, India on Friday to compete in the SAFF Championship 2023, carrying the lessons learned from their encounter with the Philippines.
Vincenzo Alberto Annese’s side finds themselves placed in a challenging group alongside Kuwait, India, and Pakistan in the SAFF Championship. The team’s first match will be against Kuwait on June 21, followed by a highly anticipated encounter against India on June 24. The group stage will conclude with Nepal facing Pakistan on June 27. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals of the championship.
Nepal’s Squad
Goalkeepers: Kiran Chemjong, Deep Karki, Bishal Shrestha
Defenders: Bimal Panday, Sanish Shrestha, Ananta Tamang, Devendra Tamang, Nishant Khadka, Rohit Chand, Simanta Thapa
Midfielders: Pujan Uperkoti, Arik Bista, Nabin Lama, Mani Kumar Lama, Laken Limbu, Awas Lamichhane
Forwards: Ayush Ghalan, Nawayug Shrestha, Dipak Raj Singh Thakuri, Anjan Bista, Manish Dangi, Aashish Chaudhary, Bimal Gharti Magar
