With the win Friends leapfrogged six spots to replace Army in the second position while the latter dropped one spot to third. Both Friends and Army have 28 points each but the former is ahead on the basis of head-to-head record. [break]In the first leg, Friends and Army had settled for a goalless draw. Leader Three Star has 35 points.
On Friday, leader Three Star was defeated 2-1 by Nepal Police Club. "We failed to take advantage of Three Star´s defeat against Police," said Army coach Yogambar Suwal, adding that his side conceded the second goal due to defensive lapses. "We lost due to our own mistake and the midfield also failed to perform to its potential."
Friends Club goalie controls ball. (Photo: Keshab Thoker)
Prakash Budhathoki and Bishnu KC scored in either half for the Kupandol-based team that got reduced to 10 men in the 87th minute after referee Nabindra Maharjan flashed a second yellow card to Peter Sagun. Earlier, Sagun was booked in the 77th minute.
Budhathoki put Friends in the driving seat in the 27th minute when he headed home an acute cross from Bishnu KC from the danger zone.
Nepali international striker Bharat Khawas hit back the equalizer for the departmental team five minutes later. Khawas made a well-placed shot from the penalty spot in a cross from Tanka Basnet to take his goals tally to 13, six behind highest scorer Yona Elias Ndabila of Saraswati, which failed to qualify for the super league, and two behind Santosh Sahukhala of Three Star.
African player Zikahe Dodoz came up with an excellent show to restore Friends´ lead. Dodoz dribbled past three Army players before unleashing a powerful shot from the edge to stun an advancing custodian Ganga Ram Deuja. The African came close to scoring another goal two minutes later but his quick strike from the edge hit the crossbar.
Army could create only a couple of scoring chances in the first half. In the seventh minute, Khawas failed to connect properly to a cross from Bikarna Shrestha inside the six-yard box. A minute later, Shrestha hit a feeble shot in Khawas´ cross which custodian Bashir Ibrahim Toyin saved easily.
Santosh Tamang and Bishnu KC´s attempts in the first half were also unsuccessful. Tamang´s 35th minute free-kick was caught by custodian Deuja in style, while KC tapped high above the bar from the six-yard box in Jagjeet Shrestha´s cross.
Meghraj KC in Friends
KATHMANDU: Yeti Himalayan Sherpa coach Meghraj KC has been appointed the interim coach of NIBL Friends Club for the super league rounds of Martyrs Memorial League. "I am still in Himalayan Sherpa and I have been assigned by my club to look after Friends for a month," said KC.
"Himalayan Sherpa assigned me after Friends requested Himalayan Shepra to provide a coach for the super league rounds and I am happy with my assignment." Regarding the match against Army, KC opined that that every player performed their duties and gave their hundred percent.
Earlier, KC has resigned from Three Star in September and joined Himalayan Sherpa. Sherpa failed to secure its place in the super league rounds as it finished 10th in the first round.
Friends was without a coach after Dilkaji Gurung resigned as the team´s head coach after the 11th round of the league on December 20. Kumar Pradhan then took over the team but only for the remaining five matches of the first round.
Match schedule changed, again
KATHMANDU: ANFA has changed the match schedule for the super league rounds of Martyrs Memorial League for the third time. Issuing a press statement on Saturday, ANFA said it will conduct two matches each on March 12, 13, 23 and 24.
ANFA has not cited any reason for the change in schedule. As per the new schedule, the first match on the four dates will begin at 13:30 NST and the second at 15:30 NST. ANFA had initially scheduled only one match for 16:00 NST on every match day and later changed the time to 15:30 NST.
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