The New Road Team, one of Nepal’s oldest football clubs, did not have a good start to the National League, suffering a 0-1 loss against Machhindra FC during their first match of the tournament Last Friday.

With a star-studded lineup, NRT are considered one of the favourites to lift the league title. While a loss in the first game raised questions, NRT bounced back on Monday with a win over Satdobato Youth Club.

Satdobato, meanwhile, had managed a goalless draw with Sankata FC during the second match day of the league on January 15.

During the first match of the day at Dasharath Stadium, Satdobato conceded early. NRT’s Bigyan Khadka gave the lead in the eighth minute, and Timothy Chiemeries Okereke made it 2-0 in the 17th.

NRT believed that they improved from the last game by working on the conversion during finishing.

A header by Fode Fofana over a freekick by Jagajeet Shrestha brought Satdobato back to the game in the 33rd minute. Satdobato kept up with the NRT until the end of 90 minutes of regulation time, creating chances for an equaliser while preventing NRT from extending the cushion. However, Khadka ran solo from the right flank in the third minute of seven minutes of injury time and beat the defenders and the goalkeeper to score his second individual goal, and the team’s third to make it 3-1.

“We have too many things to work on,” Satdobato’s head coach Bal Gopal Sahu said after the loss. “We were sleeping during the first 10 minutes. There was no seriousness from the players.”

Sahu argued that he had individual talents, but they were struggling to put up a good team game. “With the current mentality, we cannot hope to become champions,” Sahu said. “We might add a few more foreign players to strengthen our squad. A player from Uzbekistan has been registered and will be in the squad for the next game.”

Satdobato’s next opponent are Manang Marsyangdi Club, with the match scheduled for January 23. Before that, NRT will face Kankrebihar Club on January 22.

Consecutive win for Machhindra and Laligurans

Laligurans Association Club, a club from Pokhara, managed a 1-0 win over Jawalakhel Youth Club, a top-tier club, on January 15. Qualified as the champions of the ANFA President League, Laligurans registered their second win on Monday.

In the only match of Monday played at the ANFA Complex, Laligurans defeated Nawa Jana Jagriti Yuwa Club 4-1. Abdul Yusuph Haule scored the only goal of the first half to give Laligurans the lead.

In the second half, Ashish Gurung scored a brace in the 55th and 60th minutes. It was followed by a goal by Akoete Junior Donou in the 89th minute to make it 4-0 for Laligurans.

However, while Laligurans’ goalie Anish Mahato had the chance to celebrate his second cleansheet in two matches, Umesh Sanjel scored a consolation goal for Nawa Jana Jagriti in 90+1 minute.

Still, Laligurans managed to stay at the top of the table with six points, besting Machhindra FC in goal difference.

Machhindra defeated Manang Marsyangdi 2-1 in the last match of Monday under the floodlights of Dasharath Stadium to reach six points with two wins. However, they only have a goal difference of 2, compared to Laligurans’ 4.

Machhindra took the lead early against Manang Marsyangdi with Sanish Shrestha’s goal in the eighth minute. However, Manang Marsyangdi bounced back with Bishesh Lama capitalising on a blunder by Machhindra’s goalie Bishal Shrestha in 45+1 minutes.

As the first half ended in a draw, Manang Marsyangdi, who were coming from a 0-5 loss against Tribhuvan Army FC on January 17, started putting up a good fight. But in the 57th minute, Machhindra bounced back with a goal by Jonathan Eduardo Cantillana Zorrilla, which became the winning goal.

“We were looking for three points, and we got it,” Machhindra’s head coach Prabesh Katuwal said in the post-match conference. “Performance-wise, we still have a lot to improve. We almost lost three points as the players took the team lightly for a moment.”

Similarly, Manang Marsyangdi’s assistant coach Sailesh Karmacharya argued that his team played better than the last match. “We were looking for at least a point, but we failed tonight,” Karmacharya said. “We have the pressure to match the legacy of this club. We only have young players, but we are not taking it as an excuse. We will come back stronger.”

There are two matches scheduled for Tuesday at the ANFA Complex. Nepal Police Club will face Chitlang FC at 11am, while Planning Boyz United will be up against Tribhuvan Army FC at 3pm.