The second quarterfinal of the 24th Aaha-Rara Pokhara Gold Cup will take place today between two A-Division clubs, Three Star and Machhindra FC. The match will kick off at 2:30 PM at Pokhara Stadium.
Machhindra secured its place in the quarterfinals by defeating departmental team APF FC in the pre-quarterfinals, while Three Star received a bye and will directly play in the quarterfinals.
This is expected to be a heavyweight clash, as both teams have a mix of renowned senior and emerging players.
Three Star is a five-time Aaha-Rara Gold Cup champion, while Machhindra has yet to win a title in Pokhara.
Led by former national team captain Biraj Maharjan, Three Star has strengthened its squad with players like Kamal Shrestha, Rupesh KC, Laxman Ruchal, and Fode Fofana.
From last year’s Aaha-Rara Gold Cup squad, key players like goalkeeper Abhishek Baral, defender Yogesh Gurung, midfielder Vivek Paudel, wingers Dipesh Ghale and Dipesh Ale Magar, and forward Ashish Chapagain remain with Three Star this season. Ganesh Khadka is coaching the team this time.
On the other hand, Machhindra, captained by goalkeeper Bishal Shrestha, features well-known names such as Manish Dangi, Ayush Ghalan, Sanish Shrestha, Devendra Tamang, and Bimal Gharti Magar. The team has over half a dozen players with national team experience and includes foreign players Omolaja Karim and Andre Nia, who have prior experience in Nepal’s domestic football scene.
Additionally, players like Aditya Shakya, Saurav Limbu, and Chiring Gurung are also part of Machhindra’s squad.
