“Kathmandu, Sept 16”
Colombo, Sept 16 – Nepal made a winning start in the SAFF U-17 Championship, which kicked off in Colombo on Monday.
In the Group ‘A’ opener held at the Colombo Racecourse Ground, Nepal defeated hosts Sri Lanka 2–0 to secure all three points.
Forward Samir Kumar was the star of the match, scoring both goals for Nepal. He broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute, heading in a cross delivered by Pratish Thapa Magar from the left flank. In the third minute of injury time, Samir sealed the victory with his second goal, beating the Sri Lankan goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation.
With this result, Nepal have strengthened their chances of reaching the semifinals from Group ‘A’, which consists of only three teams – Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Nepal will now face Bangladesh in their second group match on Thursday. Even a draw in that game would be enough to virtually guarantee Nepal a place in the last four.
Group ‘B’ features defending champions India, along with Pakistan, Bhutan, and the Maldives. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals.
The SAFF U-17 Championship has already seen nine editions. India remain the most successful side, having lifted the title six times. Bangladesh have won it twice, while Pakistan have won once. Nepal have reached the final four times but are yet to claim the title, losing on all four occasions to India.
With a young and determined squad, Nepal are aiming to create history this time by lifting the championship for the very first time. Samir Kumar’s stellar performance has given the team an ideal start to their campaign.
