Jhapa FC held to a goalless draw by Butwal Lumbini in NSL
In the first half, Jhapa created relentless pressure but failed to find the back of the net.
KATHMANDU: In the ongoing Nepal Super League (NSL), Jhapa FC was held to a goalless draw by Butwal Lumbini, despite dominating possession with 10 players on the field.
In the first half, Jhapa created relentless pressure but failed to find the back of the net.
Butwal’s goalkeeper, Deep Karki, was in exceptional form, making several crucial saves to deny Jhapa the lead.
Jhapa had a number of chances, with Alhaji Jero’s powerful shot in the 8th minute being saved by Deep.
In the 13th minute, Isayev Mukhammad’s striking effort from the edge of the box was brilliantly stopped by the goalkeeper.
In the 22nd minute, Jhapa wasted another opportunity as Arsik Lajer’s shot was saved by Deep, and in the ensuing corner, Ajamad Abdullayev’s header was punched away by the goalkeeper.
A strong shot from Rithik Khadka in the 37th minute went just over the crossbar.
Butwal, on the other hand, had very few attacks but did manage to make a serious attempt in the 38th minute, when Filip A. Djah scored from the edge of the box, but Jhapa’s goalkeeper, Nemanja Lemajić, made an important save.
The first half ended in a goalless draw.
The second half saw a drop in intensity from both teams. Jhapa struggled to continue their first-half momentum, while Butwal also lacked attacking flair.
Neither team was able to mount a significant challenge on goal.
In the 70th minute, Butwal was reduced to 10 players as captain Erik Bisht was sent off for a foul on Isayev Mukhammad.
After receiving a second yellow card, Bisht was dismissed, leaving Butwal with one less player for the remainder of the match.
This meant Butwal would also be without their captain in their upcoming game against Dhangadhi FC.
Despite being a player down, Butwal defended resolutely, and Jhapa failed to capitalize on the advantage. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, with both teams sharing a point.
Tomorrow, FC Chitwan and Pokhara Thunders will face off in the NSL’s third edition, which features seven teams in total.
