FC Chitwan defeats Pokhara Thunders 2-0 in third NSL match

KATHMANDU: FC Chitwan secured a 2-0 victory over Pokhara Thunders in their third match of the Nepal Super League (NSL).

Nodir Mavlonov and Niraj Chaudhary scored for Chitwan, making them the first team to secure a win in the current season, after two previous matches had ended in draws.

The match, held at Dasarath Stadium, saw Chitwan take the lead in the 14th minute.

A cutback from Viktor Manasare found Shishir Lekhi, whose pass was perfectly converted into a goal by Nodir Mavlonov’s right-footed strike, giving Chitwan a 1-0 advantage.

In the 31st minute, Chitwan’s Shishir Lekhi took a powerful shot, which was saved by Pokhara’s goalkeeper, Gilyam Priso, preventing a second goal for Chitwan.

Pokhara failed to threaten Chitwan’s goal during the first half, which ended with Chitwan leading 1-0.

In the 49th minute, Chitwan had another opportunity to double their lead, but Viktor Manasare’s header off a corner from Toric Jebrin went wide.

The first strong attempt from Pokhara came in the 53rd minute, when Joe Aido fired a powerful shot from about 35 yards out, which went just above the crossbar.

In the 57th minute, Pokhara’s Samir Tamang crossed the ball to Stefan Binong, whose header missed, leaving Pokhara with yet another missed opportunity to equalize.

Chitwan continued to press forward, but missed several more chances. In the 60th minute, Chitwan wasted another opportunity when Viktor Manasare’s shot from a pass by Chiring Gurung was saved by Priso.

With just two minutes remaining in regular time, Jonathan Campbell’s cross found Viktor, but his attempt from six yards out went wide of the target.

Finally, in injury time, Chitwan sealed the game with a second goal. On a counter-attack, Viktor’s through pass was finished by substitute Niraj Chaudhary, ensuring a 2-0 victory for Chitwan.

This victory marked Chitwan’s third win in the NSL, after not being able to secure a win in their first season and managing only two wins in their second season.

It was also the first time Chitwan defeated Pokhara, as Pokhara had beaten Chitwan in the previous two seasons.

The match started 18 minutes late due to a controversy regarding the documents of Chitwan’s foreign players.

Before the match, Pokhara had requested the labor approval documents for Chitwan’s foreign players, but due to the public holiday, the necessary documents didn’t arrive on time, leading to a dispute

However, Chitwan clarified that they had submitted a letter from the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Council to the organizers. Pokhara continued to seek the original documents, causing the delay.

Tomorrow, a match between Butwal Lumbini and Dhankhadi FC will take place.