Three-time champions Three Star confirmed their stay in the premier division after a late drama gave them a 1-0 victory over neighbours Jawalakhel Youth Club in the last game of Martyrs Memorial ‘A’ Division League knocking APF Football Club to second division at the Dasharath Stadium on Saturday.

Three Star came into the match seeking a must win for their survival and the late drama unfolded in the 81st minute after captain Bikram Lama, also a former Jawalakhel player, was tripped inside the area by Pramin Shrestha prompting referee Nabindra Maharjan to point towards the spot. Captain Lama, who was playing his last game as a professional player, stepped up to take the penalty and send the ball past diving Jawalakhel custodian Arun Blon scoring a lifeline for the team.

The outcome was a harsh blow to APF who dropped one spot down to 13th while second from bottom Three Star climbed four spots to ninth in the 14-team standings which demoted bottom two sides to second division. Three Star wrapped up on 32 points with seven wins, 11 draws and eight defeats while the result was not of much significance to fourth-placed Jawalakhel who would have remained unchanged in the table irrespective of any outcome.

APF, beaten 4-0 by Friends Club in another match for survival played on Friday, finished with equal 30 points as 12th placed Friends but the departmental side sit behind in the standings on head-to-head record.

It is the first occasion that APF are relegated to second tier after they were inducted directly into ‘A’ division of the Nepali football pyramid in 2005-06 season rather than coming through standard procedure. Their best finish in the top tier league dates back to 2018-19 and 2006-07 seasons when they finished fourth. However, they struggled to avoid relegation in the past two seasons.

Top scorer Afeez shines for Machhindra

Top scorer Olawalke Afeez struck two late goals for the defending champions Machhindra Club as they overcame an early deficit to wrap up the league campaign with a 3-1 victory over Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) in the day’s early fixture at the Dasharath Stadium.

The win left Machhindra unchanged in second place as newcomer Church Boys United (CBU) were already assured of title before they played their last game on Friday signing off with 2-0 win over Khumaltar, the first team to relegate to second division.

Machhindra finished second on 45 points, three points behind CBU, earning 12 wins, nine draws and five defeats. Manang wrapped up in eighth place with 32 points securing seven wins, 11 draws and eight defeats.

Despite the second place finish Machhindra, however, will represent Nepal in the 2023-24 preliminary qualifiers for the AFC Cup, an opportunity the league champions CBU should have got. But CBU became ineligible to participate in Asia's second tier inter-country club football championship as they have not obtained AFC Club license, a mandatory requirement to participate in the event. Machhindra therefore will be representing Nepal.

Bijay Shrestha put MMC ahead as early as in the 16th minute after he slammed in a Randip Paudel’s cutback pass from the area. Afeez restored the parity for Machhindra in the 80th after the unmarked forward made an easy tapping to convert Bimal Gharti Magar’s cross from the six-yard box.

Gharti Magar doubled the tally in a similar fashion as he tapped in a Tshiring Gurung cross from the area. Afeez then nailed the victory with a third in stoppage time taking his league tally to 23 goals. He dribbled past three MMC defenders and beat goalie Jiyarat Shekh.

Sankata, NRT share points

Sankata Club and New Road Team (NRT) shared the spoils settling for a 1-1 draw at Chyasal Stadium in Lalitpur.

Cameroonian player Nelson Yuniwo Konfor broke the deadlock for Sankata in the first half stoppage time. But NRT made sure that they walked away with one point after Bikram Dhimal hit back the equaliser one minute from regulation time.

The outcome lifted NRT to sixth place on 34 points from seven wins, 11 draws and eight defeats. Sankata finished 10th with seven wins, 11 draws and eight defeats on 32 points.