ILAM, April 20: Goals from Nepal U-16 player Manish Thapa propelled My Valley Football Club to a 3-2 win over Kaski XI in the curtain raiser of the ongoing International Invitational Tuborg My Valley Gold Cup football tournament on Thursday. Thapa bagged a brace, while captain Subhash Rai scored from a penalty to give the host a win.
Thapa put My Valley in front scoring in the 19th minute from a cross. The first half ended 1-0, but My Valley was rewarded a penalty in the 57th minute as Bhuwan Basnet was fouled inside the danger area and Rai coolly converted the spot kick. Thapa scored a beautiful goal in the 64th minute utilizing a pass from Rai to make the score 3-0.
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Kaski showcased a brilliant fight back in the last 21 minutes of the match. Kaski’s skipper Uttam Gurung scored from a free kick in the 69th minute to pull one back for the visiting team, while the other U-16 player Sandeep Paudel scored from a free kick again in the 90th minute to make the score 3-2.
Both the teams got plenty of good chances to score throughout the match. Kaski’s Randeep’s shot in the first half hit the post, My Valley’s Basnet and Kaski’s Prabesh Danuwar missed a glorious chance each. My Valley’s Chhiring Gurung was named the man of the match and was rewarded with Rs 10,000.
My Valley will now take on Laxmi Hyundai Manang Marshyangdi Club on April 23. The departmental team Armed Police Force will vie against Bangladesh’s Kawran Pragati Sangh on Friday.
The tournament is the first of the current season played under the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA). A total of 12 teams from Nepal, India and Bangladesh including A-Division teams and three departmental teams Tribhuvan Army Club, Armed Police and Nepal Police Club are taking part in the tournament. The other teams are Jhapa XI, Ruslan Three Star Club, Sankata Club, India’s Sikkim United, and Durgapur Steel Football Club.
The winner of the tournament will take home Rs 500,000, while the runner-up will be rewarded with Rs 300,000.
