It was the fourth time lucky for Nepalese Football Team-Qatar (NFT), as they beat Jordan 3-2 to qualify for the final of the fourth Asian Community Tournament 2016 (ACT). The team had been knocked out in the semi-final on the previous three occasions.
The team has remained undefeated this year, winning all its matches in the group stages. They beat Japan 3-0, South Korea 4-2, the Philippines 5-1, Indonesia 6-1, and Sri Lanka 4-0 to finish on top of their group and qualify for the quarter-finals. They scored 22 goals in the group stages and conceded just 5. They played their quarter-final against Singapore on April 29 at the QFA Technical Ground. NFT won the match easily, scoring 4 goals to Singapore’s 1.
The semi-final against Jordan was held last weekend. Playing against a formidable Jordan side with having being knocked out in the semi-finals the last three times, the pressure on NFT was undeniable. They started off well, with Niraj Basnet getting the scoreboard moving at the 18-minute mark with an assist from Bhakta Bhandari.
Govind Rai doubled Nepal’s lead five minutes later. Nepal’s third goal came at the 30-minute mark, with Bhakata Bhandari finding the net with an assist by Arjun Subba. The score was 3-0 at the end of the first half.
The Jordanian outfit came out a different team in the second half, taking full control of the ball. They managed to score their first goal at the 38-minute mark, followed by another goal at the 53-minute mark. Nepal came very close to losing their lead when Jordan was awarded a penalty kick at the 62-minute mark, but goalkeeper Purna Thami pulled off a remarkable save. Jordan was unable to find the net again by the time the final whistle blew.
Thousands of spectators turned up to watch the match. The NFT squad features some experienced players who have played in Division A football tournaments in Nepal. The team practices weekly, with Sanjiv Waiba coaching. City Express Money Exchange is the sponsor.
The team is being captained by Sudesh Shrestha, with its top two scorers being Prakash Giri with six goals and Arjun Subba with five goals. The team will play the final against India on May 20 at Al Sadd stadium.
CELEBRATIONS: NFT Qatar with their fans after winning the semi-final.
