Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: National league champion Church Boys United is hosting Bhutanese league champion Paro FC in the preliminary round of the AFC Challenge League at the Dasharath Stadium on Tuesday.
The winner of the match will qualify for the group stage of the competition, which will be played in a home-and-away format between October 26 and November 2. The winner will also receive $100,000 from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the preparation.
The match will kick off at Dasharath Stadium at 6 pm.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference in Kathmandu on Monday, both teams said they have prepared well for the one-off match. Church Boys Coach Bal Gopal Maharjan said they can achieve positive results if the team plays to its potential. “Our practice matches with Tribhuvan Army Club and the national U-20 team have helped us,” he added.
Likewise, Captain Ananta Tamang said that the team is prepared both physically and mentally to face Paro FC. “The presence of Japanese star Honda and other foreign players won’t put us under pressure. We will stick to our game plan,” he added.
Paro FC, which has signed Japanese star Keisuke Honda, arrived in Kathmandu on Saturday. The Bhutanese league champion has signed a total of 11 foreign players.
Paro FC Coach Pushpalal Sharma expressed confidence in his team’s ability to deliver an excellent performance. “We aren’t taking our opponents lightly. Since Church Boys has many national players, we consider them as strong as the Nepali national side,” Sharma added.
Paro FC lost to Machhindra FC in the AFC Cup qualifiers in Kathmandu last year. Although Paro FC took the lead in the match held in August last year, Machhindra struck three first-half goals in the first half. Although Paro tried to come back in the game with its second goal in the 71st minute, it was not sufficient.
