Defender Thapa made a superb freekick from long range (near from center line) to score his career´s first international goal to stun Bangladesh a few seconds ahead of the final whistle at the JLN Stadium. Nepal was awarded with the freekick after Mamun Miyah fouled defender Rabin Shrestha.[break]
"I am very much happy to get the opportunity to score the decisive goal," Thapa said, adding, "We have arrived here targeting the trophy and victory was essential for that. I shot the ball directly toward the post as coach had signaled me that the time was about to finish."
"Despite putting up a good show we were unable to score in the early hours of the match and my goal was a god´s gift," said Thapa.
It is the first victory of Nepal over Bangladesh in the last 18 years. Nepal had defeated Bangladesh during Sixth SAF Games in 1993. Since Nepal had played five international matches against Bangladesh but lost all of them.
Nepal, which had shared points with Maldives playing a 1-1 draw on Friday, earned top spot in the group ´B´ with four points as Maldives and Pakistan played goalless draw in another match of the group. Nepal will now take on Pakistan in its last group match on Tuesday.
Nepal´s British coach Graham Roberts said Nepal deserved the victory as it put up an impressive show. "Every players of my team were excellent in their respective positions. Player of any position can score a goal in football," the Briton said.
Earlier in the first match on Sunday, Nepal´s defender Sandip Rai had headed to earn a 1-1 comeback draw against Maldives.
Earlier, Nepal made an impressive start and intensified attacks from the very beginning against Bangladesh, which opted to put defensive show. Nepal totally took the first half of the match under control and played the ball in Bangladeshi half for almost all time.
In the very third minute, unmarked striker Anil Gurung hit the ball wide from the post in a corner taken by Raju Tamang and Gurung again squandered scoring chance three minutes before interval when he miss-passed Santosh Sahukhala in the six-yard box with only goalie Sahidul Alam to beat. Sahukhala came as replacement of striker Jumanu Rai who left the field in the after picking injury.
In the eighth minute, Bangladeshi custodian Alam punched defender Rohit Chand´s long-range shot.
Bangladesh made the first attempt in the 34th minute of the match but goalie Kiran Chemjong had to do nothing with it as Razaaul Karim shot the ball off-target in a free kick from Hassan Ameli.
In the second half, Bangladesh came up with better performance giving the match a more balanced look. In the 49th minute, defender Sandip Rai seized the ball from Mithun in the box and cleared it after goalie Chemjong failed to control the ball properly.
In the 86th minute, Sahukhala´s brilliant header in Raju Tamang´s corner was attractively punched by goalie Alam.
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