Kathmandu: Nepal’s U-19 football team delivered a stellar performance, securing a spot in the semifinals of the SAFF U-19 Championship. Facing a must-win situation, Nepal triumphed over the Maldives with a resounding 4-1 victory.
The Nepali side wasted no time in asserting their dominance, taking an early 2-0 lead in the first half. However, the Maldives mounted a valiant comeback effort, finding the back of the net early in the second half courtesy of Layan Rasheed in the 58th minute. Nepal sealed the match after Nirajan Dhami scored in the 87th minute, while Samir Tamang found the net in the added time in the second half..
Nepal’s journey in the SAFF U-19 Championship had its share of challenges after a defeat against Pakistan in their opening match.
With this victory, Maldives has been eliminated from the tournament, while Nepal emerges as the runners-up in their group, clinching their spot in the upcoming semifinals. In the next stage of the competition, Nepal will lock horns with the winner of Group B, which will be decided on Monday evening as India and Bhutan face off.
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