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Nepal faces Maldives test in semifinal

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KATHMANDU, Jan 18: Nepal, which remained unbeaten in the group stage of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup, will take on the Maldives in the semifinal on Tuesday.

The match between Nepal and the Maldives will be played at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka at 17:45 NST.


Nepal has to face the Maldives as it finished runner-up in Group A while the opponent topped Group B.

Nepal, despite having equally five points as that of host Bangladesh, finished second in the group based on goal difference. Both Nepal and Bangladesh played two draws and won a match each in the group stage.

Similarly, the Maldives won two matches and played a draw while Bahrain U-23 finished Group B runner-up.

Meanwhile, Nepal's head coach Bal Gopal Maharjan said that the team has to score goals against the Maldives to advance into the final.

"We have reached that stage of the tournament where we cannot play for a draw. We need to score in order to advance," Maharjan was quoted by the official website of All Nepal Football Association.

Maharjan said that some of the players of the Maldives are quick and stopping them will be an advantage for his side.

"Maldives are one of the best sides in this tournament but their performance against Bahrain U-23 took a dip. Perhaps it was because they had already qualified before they came into the match. They have four/five players who are very quick, we have to stop them," he added.

The winner of the match between Nepal and the Maldives will face Bahrain U-23 team, which advanced to the final on Monday beating host Bangladesh 1-0.



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