Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal has made a winning start in the 6th SAFF U-20 Championship.
In the inaugural match of the regional U-20 football tournament at the ANFA Complex in Satdobato on Sunday, Nepal defeated Sri Lanka 1-0.
Nirajan Dhami gave Nepal the lead in the first half of the match. Although Nepal had plenty of opportunities to extend the lead, Dhami’s goal proved decisive as both sides failed to find the back of the net in the second half.
Although Nepal built pressure from the start, the home side had to wait until the 24th minute to take the lead. Nirajan capitalized when Sri Lankan defenders failed to clear Samir Tamang’s long throw-in into the box and scored past the Sri Lankan goalkeeper.
Samir Tamang, Anil Bamjan, and Dhami all had opportunities to extend Nepal’s lead but failed.
Six member nations of SAARC are participating in the championship. Nepal is in Group ‘A’ together with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, while Group ‘B’ includes India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.
Teams play each other once in the group stage, with the two best teams from each group advancing to the semifinals.
India is the most successful side in the history of the SAFF U-20 Championship, lifting the title three times—in 2019, 2022, and 2023. Nepal has won the title twice, in 2015 and 2017.
