Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal has advanced to the semifinals of the SAFF Men’s U-19 Championship with a 4-1 victory against the Maldives at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Monday.
Samir Tamang netted two goals for Nepal, while Prashant Laksam and Nirajan Dhami scored a goal each. Adam Layaan Rashid scored the lone goal for the Maldives.
After conceding a 0-1 defeat against Pakistan in their first group match of the championship, this fixture was a must-win for Nepal. Nepal kicked off the match on a positive note and took the lead in the 17th minute when Laksam’s long-range shot found the back of the net. The hosts doubled the lead in the 30th minute when Samir Tamang capitalized on Nirajan Dhami’s excellent pass.
The game turned tense for a while after both teams were reduced to 10 players in the 34th minute. The referee issued a straight red card to the Maldives’ captain Mohamed Iyaan Hassan and Nepal’s Sujan Dangol following a minor altercation.
The Maldives made an attempt to get back into the game with Adam Layaan Rashid scoring a beautiful goal from Ahmed Zahan Nazeer’s cross in the 58th minute. However, the visitors missed a chance to equalize in the 79th minute when Mohamed Faizan Fazeen failed to score despite having only the Nepali goalkeeper to beat.
Nirajan Dhami extended Nepal’s lead beyond the Maldives’ grasp by tapping in Laksam’s beautiful pass. Samir Dhami compounded the Maldives’ misery as he scored from inside the box after a cleverly taken corner kick in the fourth minute of additional time.
Pakistan and Nepal have secured spots in the semifinals from Grop A, while India and Bhutan have progressed from Group B. Nepal will know its semifinal opponent following the match between India and Bhutan later on Monday.
