Jul 12, 2017-<\/p>\n
Skipper Bimal Gharti Magar scored a lonely goal as hosts Nepal beat Bangladesh 1-0 during their Under-23 friendly football match at the Anfa Complex in Satdobato on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
For both the teams, the friendly was a final tune up ahead of their AFC U-23 Championship Qualifiers scheduled this month. While Nepal take on the hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) on July 15, Uzbekistan on July 17 and Lebanon on July 19 in their Group \u2018D\u2019 Qualifiers, Bangladesh are up against hosts Palestine, Jordan and Tajikistan in Group \u2018E\u2019 on July 19-23.<\/p>\n
The Qualifiers send 10 group winners and five best runners-up to the finals to be held in China next year.<\/p>\n
Gharti Magar, who limped off at half an hour mark, made the difference in the 20th minute with a quick low drive at right bottom from zone. He controlled a cross from his senior national teammate Anjan Bista before firing home the winner. He picked up a \u201cminor injury\u201d moments later and was replaced by Biswas Shrestha in the 33rd minute. Gharti Magar shrugged off the injury terming it a minor one during the post match press conference. Nepal coach Raju Kaji Shakya said that only doctors can make a real assessment to the exact nature of the injury. \u00a0Nepal are scheduled to leave for the UAE on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsidering that we tinkered with our formation, we played really well. It was the first time we played in 4-5-1 formation. There was a clear lack of coordination between defenders and midfielders,\u201d said Shakya adding that they must come with much improved game in the Qualifiers to have any realistic chance in the UAE.<\/p>\n
Shakya left out defender Kamal Shrestha from the starting XI out of the 10 members of the senior national team which was at his disposal. Gharti Magar\u2019s early exit due to injury also did not help the home team despite keeping Bangladeshi custodian Mohammed Nayeem busy throughout the game. His absence meant Nepal lost sharpness in attack.<\/p>\n
Bangladesh coach Andrew Ord believed that the only difference between the two sides was strikers. \u201cWe controlled the match but their strikers were effective than ours,\u201d said Ord. Ord also saw flaws in Nepal\u2019s midfield saying: \u201cNepal\u2019s midfield was non-existent.\u201d Ord was however full of praise for Gharti Magar. \u00a0\u201cThe No 10 (Gharti Magar) was excellent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gharti Magar also had a chance to double their tally in the 25th minute but was denied by goalie Nayeem. Bangladesh missed an opportunity to score an equaliser in the 38th minute. The visitors also came closer to scoring in the 64th but Nepal glovesman Alan Neupane dived full stretch to deny Hemonta Biswas\u2019 low drive from the edge of the area. Nepal squandered a sitter in the dying moments of the game as Biswas Shrestha hit wide from point blank range following a Bivek Basnet cross.<\/p>\n