KATHMANDU, Sept 26: Nepal’s U-17 team’s dream of lifting the SAFF U-17 Championship trophy came to an end as they were defeated by India 3–0 in Thursday’s semifinal in Sri Lanka. This marks the second time Nepal has failed to reach the final.
Gungleiba Wangkhearokpam, Aizlan Shah, and Diamond Singh scored for India. At the Colombo Racecourse Sports Complex, defending champions India kept up constant pressure, though the first half ended goalless.
Nepal struggled in the second half, conceding three goals. After India’s opening strike, Nepal tried to fight back but couldn’t find the net. India will now face Bangladesh in the final on Saturday.
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Earlier on Thursday, Bangladesh secured a 2–0 win over Pakistan in the first semifinal, booking their place in the final. The Nepal-India clash was competitive at times, but India made the most of their chances.
India’s first attack came in the 14th minute, created by Gungleiba, but Nepal’s right-back Bhuwan Kami blocked the effort before it reached goalkeeper Ram Bohara. India soon had another opportunity, but Dallalmoun Gante’s shot went wide. In the 25th minute, Rahan Ahmed’s free-kick failed to find the net, and a beautiful cross by Maldeno Singh went unused by an unmarked Rahan.
In the 38th minute, Indian goalkeeper Manasjyoti Baruah denied Nepal’s attempt to take the lead, saving a powerful strike from 22 yards by Pratish Thapamagar. Nepal also failed to capitalize on a corner. In first-half stoppage time, India’s Kamgouhao Doungel created another chance, but captain Prashant Moktan cleared it.
India finally broke the deadlock in the 61st minute when Gungleiba converted a loose ball left by the Nepalese defense. In the 80th minute, Aizlan Shah doubled the lead with a solo counter-attack goal, dribbling past defenders. During injury time, Diamond Singh completed the scoring with a one-touch finish from Gungleiba’s precise cut-back pass.
With this defeat, Nepal misses out on the final for the second time. They had also reached the final in Sri Lanka in 2022 but lost to India.
