Nepal Police Club (NPC) has secured a spot in the semifinals of the ongoing Birat Gold Cup International Invitational Knockout Football Tournament in Kathmandu. NPC defeated another departmental team, APF Football Club, with a 2-0 victory in the quarterfinal match held at Shahid Stadium on Thursday.
Arun Gaha and Manish Sedai were the goal scorers for NPC. The match remained intense, with both teams fighting hard for a breakthrough. Arun Gaha opened the scoring in the 23rd minute of the second half with a header from a cross by Ujwal Rai. The game saw a heated moment in the 30th minute of the second half when a foul by a Police Club player on an APF player led to a disagreement and scuffle between the teams.
As the match entered the 87th minute, NPC sealed their victory with a goal from Manish Sedai. With APF pushing forward in search of an equalizer, Manish received the ball near the halfway line, dribbled towards the box, and calmly finished in a one-on-one situation against the goalkeeper.
Manish Sedai was named the Man of the Match and received a cash prize of NPR 11,000 for his outstanding performance. APF FC was missing some of their key players, including Anjal Shrestha, Mani Lama, and Suman Shrestha, who were not in the starting lineup.
In the tournament’s next match, Machhindra Football Club, Kathmandu, will take on Three Star Football Club, Lalitpur, on March 7 in the third quarterfinal. The winner of this match will advance to face Tribhuvan Army FC in the semifinals, while NPC will face the winner of the Church Boys United vs. New Road Team (NRT) match, which takes place on March 8.
The Birat Gold Cup is organized by the Birat Gold Cup Organizing Committee, Biratnagar, Morang. The tournament champion will be awarded NPR 11 lakh, while the runner-up will receive NPR 5 lakh. The final match is scheduled for March 12.
