Kathmandu Rayzrs defeated Lalitpur City FC 1-0 as the Nepal Super League—the country's first ever franchise football league, kicked off at the Dasharath Stadium in Tripureshwar on Saturday.

Messouke Oloumou scored the winner in the second half as Kathmandu held on to the lead to make a winning start.

Stephane Binong, who had rattled the bar at the half-hour mark, sent a rocket from outside the box which was stopped by Lalitpur goalkeeper Arpan Karki but the ball rebounded and fell onto the path of unmarked Ooumou, who gave Karki no chance.

Binong also came close to scoring in the 58th minute when Lalitpur defender Gaurav Budhathoki failed to clear a cross from man-of-the-match Sanjok Rai inside the box but Binong flashed wide.

Lalitpur came close to levelling the score in the 76th minute when Ranjan Bista released Nuzlan Zahid inside the box but Kathmandu captain and goalie Bikesh Kuthu was quick to intervene.

Ranjan then chipped the ball over the defenders in the way of captain Anjan Bista in the 90th but his header was cleared by Bishwas Udas inside the six yard box.

Lalitpur pushed for an equaliser in the dying minutes of the added time. Goalkeeper Karki sent a flying free kick inside the Kathmandu area which Anjan headed but the ball hit the post.

Biratnagar City FC will meet Dhangadhi FC while Lumbini FC will take on Pokhara Thunders on Sunday.

A total of seven teams are participating in the league that will run until May 8. The winners of the league will bag a purse of Rs3.5 million while the runners-up will get Rs1.5 million.