Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal clinched a 1-0 win against Singapore in an international friendly match at the National Stadium, Singapore, on Friday.
Gillespye Jung Karki’s 12th-minute strike proved decisive, giving Nepal a winning start under new head coach Matt Ross.
This is the first time that Nepal has scored against Singapore in five matches. This also marks Nepal’s first-ever victory over Singapore. The two teams last faced each other in 1989.
Nepal suffered heavy defeats against Singapore in their previous encounters. Nepal’s first match against Singapore was in the 1982 King’s Cup where it suffered a 2-0 defeat. Four years later, Npeal held Singapore in a goalless draw at the Dasharath Stadium in the 1986 Panchayat Silver Jubilee Cup. In 1989, the two sides met twice in FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with Nepal losing 7-0 in the first match and 3-0 in the second. Until now, Nepal had never scored a goal against Singapore.
The friendly was part of Nepal’s preparation for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. Nepal is set to face Malaysia in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers on Tuesday.
