BARA, Jan 25: Three Star Club has advanced into the final of the 10th Simara Gold Cup football tournament with a 1-0 win over Himalayan Sherpa Club in Simara on Thursday.
In the second semifinal match played at the Simara Stadium, a goal from Fode Fofana helped Three Star win the game and set a summit clash with the departmental team Tribhuvan Army Club to be played on Saturday.
Fofana scored the decider in the 71st minute taking advantage of a mistake from the Himalayan Sherpa defense line and the goalkeeper.
Three Star’s Ranjan Bista dribbled the ball past the defense line and Himalayan Sherpa keeper Kishor Giri came forward to stop him. Fofana took the ball and scored from the danger area to win the game for Three Star.
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Three Star got other chances to score as well, but could not convert them. Fofana passed the ball to Sushil Rai, but his shot from inside the box was saved by Giri in the 14th minute.
Himalayan Sherpa got some chances too as Bishwas Shrestha dribbled the pass to the Three Star defense line, but his strong shot from the penalty area was brilliantly punched away to safety by Three Star keeper Alan Neupane in the 16th minute.
Fofana got another chance as he hit the ball over the bar when Himalayan Sherpa keeper Giri came forward to get the ball in the 33rd minute.
Three Star’s Sunil Bal got a chance to score from a set piece after Ulrich Siebe had fouled Bista. Bal’s free-kick from 22 yards, went wide in the 41st minute.
Himalayan Sherpa’s Purna Gurung got a one-vs-one chance after receiving a pass from Shrestha, but his shot went wide in the 57th minute.
Fofana missed another good chance in the 65th minute as he dribbled the ball inside the Himalayan Sherpa box, but one-vs-one try went wide.
Three Star skipper Bikram Lama was named the man of the match and was rewarded with Rs 10,000.
