Nepal Secures Semifinal Spot with Impressive 4-1 Win Against Maldives

Nepal’s U-19 football team secured their place in the SAFF Men’s U-19 Championship semifinals with a dominant 4-1 victory over the Maldives at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu.

Nepal came into this crucial match after a disappointing 0-1 loss to Pakistan in their opening group game. The pressure was on, and they rose to the occasion. Prashant Laksam gave Nepal an early lead in the 17th minute with a spectacular long-range shot. The hosts doubled their advantage in the 30th minute when Samir Tamang capitalized on Nirajan Dhami’s precise pass.

The match took an unexpected turn when both teams were reduced to 10 players following a heated altercation in the 34th minute. The referee handed out straight red cards to Maldives’ captain Mohamed Iyaan Hassan and Nepal’s Sujan Dangol.

The Maldives made a valiant effort to claw back into the game, with Adam Layaan Rashid scoring a beautiful goal from Ahmed Zahan Nazeer’s cross in the 58th minute. However, a golden opportunity to level the score was squandered in the 79th minute when Mohamed Faizan Fazeen failed to convert despite having only the Nepali goalkeeper to beat.

Nepal sealed their victory and a spot in the semifinals when Nirajan Dhami tapped in Laksam’s exquisite pass, extending their lead beyond the Maldives’ reach. Samir Dhami piled on the misery for the Maldives with a goal from inside the box in the fourth minute of added time.

With this win, both Nepal and Pakistan have secured spots in the semifinals from Group A, while India and Bhutan have advanced from Group B. Nepal now awaits the outcome of the match between India and Bhutan to determine their semifinal opponent.