KATHMANDU, Jan 13: Mahindra Bansbari FC became the second team to be relegated from the league after a humiliating 8-2 defeat at the hands of Simrik Saraswati FC on Sunday that saw the first double hat-trick of the ongoing Martyrs Memorial Red Bull A Division Football League from African player Yona Elias Ndabila.
In the highest scoring match of the ongoing league, all 10 goals came in the second half as Saraswati´s Tanzanian forward Ndabila became the highest scorer of the league with a total of 13 goals, leaving behind Santosh Sahukhala of Three Star who has 11 goals to his name. The 26-year-old Tanzanian also became the first player to cross the three-goal milestone in a match during the league.[break]
With two matches in hand Bansbari became the second team to be relegated after Bauddha, while the third team is yet to be finalized. Bansbari, which has been relegated for the third time from A division, could have avoided relegation until its next match had it earned victory.
Bansbari, established in 2037 BS, earned promotion to A division in 2043 BS as the B division champion. But it was relegated to the second tier three years later. The club returned to top flight football in 2054 BS as the B division champion but was again relegated three years later. The club hit a new low in 2060 BS after it dropped to C division. But in 2062 BS, the club made it to B division and then to A division for the third time in 2065 BS as the runner-up of the B division league conducted by the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA).
In the 2068 league, Bansbari finished 10th among 18 teams. The club lies second from the bottom in the current league with six points. Bansbari had a bumpy start to the season and sacked its coach Hari Om Shrestha in the sixth round. The club replaced Shrestha with Dipesh Yonjan Lama alleging that the former did not give sufficient time to the club. Bansbari has earned only one point in the league since Lama took charge.
Coach Yonjan attributed the defeat to problems in players´ selection -- both domestic and foreign -- and inexperience. "There was problem in players´ selection. Very few players in the team have the capability to play in the A division," said Yonjan.
Yonjan also blamed disobedience of his players for the huge margin defeat against Saraswati on Sunday. "After conceding the first two goals the boys did follow my instructions. Everyone went on the attack and gave scoring opportunities to the opposition."
After a goalless first half, Ndabila broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute while another African player Olawala Usaman Olumide doubled the tally four minutes later. Ndabila scored other goals in the 52nd, 62nd, 65th, 85th, 88th and the last minute of three-minute stoppage time. The other goal for Saraswati came from Bivek Gurung in the first minute of stoppage time.
Saraswati coach Dhruba KC opined that Ndabila was one of the best African players of the league. "Ndabila and Olawala Afeez of RCT who received a one-year ban are the two best African players of the league," said KC, who claimed his side still has chances of making it to the super eight round. "Making it to the super eight round is a matter of pride for the club. Now we have a 50-50 chance of qualifying for the super eight."
Following the victory, Saraswati leapfrogged four spots to the sixth place with 20 points in its account.
Yuwak Ghale and substitute Prashant Tamang scored one each for Bansbari in the 71st and 87th minutes respectively. Tamang came in as a replacement for Shyam Babu Magar in the 71st minute.
APF eases relegation fears
Departmental team Armed Police Force (APF) eased relegation fears after it toiled hard to beat already relegated Bauddha FC 3-2 on Sunday.
With two matches in hand, APF moved two places up to 11th with 15 points while Bauddha lies at the bottom of the table with one point.
In course of achieving its fifth victory of the league, Santosh Shrestha netted twice for APF while Shiva Ram Giri scored the third. Subin Shrestha and Ajit Bhandari found the target for Bauddha but the team´s quest for its first win in the league remained unfulfilled.
"We are now almost safe," a relieved AFP coach Janak Singh Tharu said during the post-match conference. "We could cement our place in A division if we earned even only a point from the next two matches," said Tharu, adding that his team had to play under pressure as it was a must-win game.
An unmarked Santosh Shrestha gave an early lead to APF in the third minute from the six-yard box in Ganesh Lawati´s cross. Shrestha doubled the advantage chipping over an advancing goalie Ranjit Gurung from the edge.
Bauddha cut the goal deficit in the injury time of first half after an unmarked Subin Shrestha headed home in Steven Veron Bikamata´s cross. Shiva Kumar Giri scored the third goal for the departmental team four minutes into the second half with a header from the area in skipper Kumar Thapa´s freekick.
Ajit Bhandari again hit back for Bauddha during the dying moments of the match with a one-touch strike from the area in Subin Shrestha´s pass.
Today´s matches
Friends Vs Machhindra @ 12:30 NST
Army Vs Sankata @ 14:30 NST
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