KATHMANDU: Nepal’s football team was dropped out in the first match of SAFF Football championship after they lost the match to Afghanistan.

Nepal lost in the first semifinal of the championship with 1-0. This was the second time that the Afghans defeated Nepal in the semifinals of the championship.

Afghan scored the goal home in the tenth minute of the play and defended their goal post well.
Nepal players missed the opportunity to goal despite two repeated penalty shoot outs given in the game played at the Dasrath Rangsala in Kathmandu.

KATHMANDU: India won the match against their arch rival – Pakistan- by 1-0 in their Group A match of the eighth SAFF Championship here at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Sunday evening.

Pakistani captain Samar Ishaq hit a suicide goal in the 14th minute of the match that eventually made India victorious.

Though India’s own striker Sunil Chhetri did played a very good match though he could not send the ball home in Pakistani’s net.

In the inaugural match, Nepal had defeated Bangladesh 2-0 yesterday.

Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan are in Group A, while Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka are in Group B.

Afghanistan and Bhutan are locking their horns at Halchowk Stadium, and the Maldives and Sri Lanka at the Dasharath Stadium tomorrow.

Sunil Chhetri at SAFF Championship match against Pakistan at Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: On the inaugural match of the Eighth SAFF Championship on Saturday, Nepal beat Bangladesh by 2-0.

During the match played at the Dasharath Stadium in the Capital, striker Anil Gurung (Jersey No.10) scored the first goal on the tournament via a header from a corner pass by Bhola Silwal (Jersey No. 17) at the 17th minute of the match.

Striker Bharat Khawas (Jersey No.21) added the second goal at the 31st minute for Nepal.

Earlier, Nepal had organised the SAF game for the first time in 1997.

Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal would play the match in this edition.

In the last match of the SAF Championship, Nepal had outplayed Bangladesh with 1-0.

Among the SAF championships organised so far, Nepal has experienced victory once but was defeated for three times by Bangladesh.