Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal has reached the semifinals of the SAFF U-17 Championship with a 2-1 victory over Bhutan in its last group-stage match on Wednesday.
Nepal, which was trailing in the first half, scored two impressive goals in the second half of the must-win match at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu to stun the home crowd. With this loss, Bhutan has exited the tournament. The hosts needed to avoid defeat in the last group-stage match to progress to the semis.
Yenten Tharchen gave Bhutan the lead in the 41st minute when Nepali goalie Pemba Norbu Bhote spilled the ball after failing to control an easy back-header from a Nepali defender. Krishna Bahadur Ale equalized for Nepal in the 55th minute. Ale’s free kick from outside the box flew past the Bhutanese keeper into the top corner of the net.
Sujan Dangol put Nepal ahead in the 84th minute when he cleverly lobbed the ball over the advancing Bhutanese goalie.
Nepal will now face India in the semifinals.
