Afghanistan joined Nepal in the semifinals as the group runner-up following a 3-1 win over Bhutan in another match played at the Army Physical Training and Sports Complex, Lagankhel. Nepal and Afghanistan will have to wait until Thursday to find out their semifinal opponents. Having already secured semifinal berths from the three-team Group B, India and Bangladesh play each other in their last group match on Thursday to enter the last four as the group winner.
In a one-sided affair on Wednesday, Bimal Gharti Magar netted two goals for the home team during the second half of the rain-affected match to take his goals tally to five. Sujan Limbu Ingnam had given Nepal an early lead in the 15th minute. A draw would have been sufficient for Nepal to book its berth in the last four while Pakistan needed a win to advance into the knockout stage. [break]
After the completion of the group stage, Nepal finished on top with seven points maintaining its unbeaten run. Afghanistan also remained unbeaten to finish second with five points. Holder Pakistan crashed out with two points and without scoring a single goal, while Bhutan finished bottom of the table earning only one point from a draw.
"We are capable of winning the title on the basis of our preparation for the tournament," Nepal´s confident coach Bal Gopal Maharjan said at the post-match conference. "I had instructed the players not to make any mistake and to utilize chances from the very beginning as the opponent was in a must-win situation. The players followed my instructions properly."
Maharjan, who said that the team played individual game in the first match against Bhutan, also expressed satisfaction at the teamwork displayed by his side against Pakistan despite a wet ground. "Though the wet pitch hampered our performance to some extent, the boys came up with a tactically sound performance and perfect teamwork."
Pakistan coach Sajjad Mahmood blamed the wet pitch for his side´s lackluster performance. "Nepal came up with a good performance and they are used to playing in rain but we are not used to slippery pitches," said Mahmood. He also cited failure to score in the first two matches against Afghanistan and Bhutan despite creating chances as the reason for the defending champion´s early exit.
Nepal took the match under control from the beginning and piled consistent pressure throughout the match. Nepal created nearly a dozen chances while Pakistan threatened the opposition goal only once.
Ingnam headed home the opener when Pakistani custodian M Shoaib slipped the ball from his grip providing an easy opportunity for Ingnam to put his side ahead. Four minutes earlier, Shoaib had denied Anjan Bista´s 25-yard strike with difficulty. In the 28th and 55th, Bista headed inches off the target in Limbu Ingnam´s cross on both occasions. In the 64th, a Pakistan defender headed from the goalline to prevent Ingnam´s powerful strike.
A minute later Gharti Magar doubled the tally with a solo effort as he dribbled past a defender and the custodian for his fourth goal of the tournament. Gharti Magar sealed the victory in the 73rd tapping home a flicked header by Bista from the six-yard box in skipper Ananta Thapa Magar´s corner.
At the Lagankhel ground, Bhutan took a surprise lead against Afghanistan through Tenzin Shezang in the 19th minute. But Afghanistan leveled the scores in the 27th through Atiqulallah Waziri. Nasar Ahmad Nekzad scored twice in the second half to seal Afghanistan´s first win and send his team through to the semifinals. Sultani made it 2-1 in the 63rd minute and added a third in the stoppage time.
Group A final points table
Team P W D L GF GA Pts
Nepal 3 2 1 0 11 1 7
Afghanistan3 1 2 0 4 2 5
Pakistan 3 0 2 1 0 3 2
Bhutan 3 0 1 2 1 10 1
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