Laxmi Hyundai Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) of Nepal on Wednesday won its first group stage match of the King´s Cup Football Tournament being held in Thimphu, Bhutan. MMC defeated the home team Yeedzin FC 3-1, the domestic champion of Bhutan. MMC´s African recruit Yona Elias Ndabila, Deepak Rai and Sujal Shrestha scored a goal each for MMC, the champion of British Gurkha Cup held about a month ago in Kathmandu. MMC, which traveled to Bhutan without five first choice players including skipper Sagar Thapa, will now lock horns with the academy team of I-League side Mohun Bagan on Monday. The five players of MMC -- skipper Thapa, Bishal Shrestha, Sulav Maskey, Shiva Shrestha and Anil Gurung -- are undergoing a closed camp training with the national team as part of preparations for the SAFF Championship. Tanzanian forward Ndabila put MMC ahead in the 10th minute and MMC went into the break maintaining the lead. Deepak Rai doubled the advantage for MMC in the 56th minute with a solo effort. The home team cut the deficit two minutes later, but Sujal Shrestha wrapped up the match three minutes from time. Among the three Nepali teams participating in the King´s Cup, MMC became the first team to win its first group stage match. Earlier, Machhindra had played a 1-1 draw in its first match and national league champion Three Star was also held to a 1-1 draw by United Sikkim FC in its first group stage match. Machhindra Club is scheduled to play against Arambagh Krira Sangh of Bangladesh in its second match on Saturday.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 18:42:11 +0000