Kathmandu, May 2, 2017: After last week’s rainy start, the sun was shining for the players in week 7 of the Mahila Premier League (MPL). Go Sports Nepal, who previously topped the table, kicked off the game with Goal Diggers. The effective defense of both teams kept the scores at 0-0 for 10 minutes into the first half, when Go Sports scored the first two goals.
Things looked bad for Goal Diggers when all-rounder Swarnim Shrestha was injured in the first half, and they were unable to produce a substitute player. Goal Diggers played with four players until half time, when Swarnim recovered. Go Sports were foiled again and again by Goal Diggers Goalie, Deetya, who has kept the goal difference minimal in all of Goal Diggers games, but their attack was strong and they were clear winners with a final score of 3-0.
ABC gained a solid victory against CloudFactory this week 10-1. CloudFactory’s striker Basanti suffered an injury in the second half and they struggled to strike back against the fighting spirit of ABC girls. Kumari secured a confident win against Apex girls, 20-2, confirming their place in the fight for the top spot in the league.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid risked a forfeit of their game against Leeyash as only three players arrived on time. They were forced to begin their game with a goalie and two players, against a full Leeyash team. It was an exciting first half, with Real Madrid displaying their stamina in covering the pitch with very few players, and Leeyash fighting hard against the professional play of Real Madrid. Leeyash scored for a lead of 3-2 towards the end of the first half and gaining confidence with every minute played. They defended well in the second half, but they were no match for the full team of Real Madrid who joined the game from the second half, winning 7-3.
The league table this week shows that Kumari follows closely behind Real Madrid and is still in the running to snatch the MPL title. GoSports Nepal and ABC are currently tied with 14 points each; they will face-off next week in a game that will decide 3rd place.
Manisha Thapa Magar of Kumari took the lead this week as the highest scorer in the MPL, ending Pramila of Real Madrid’s reign at the top. The Golden Boot Award is still up for grabs, and all eyes are on the following contenders in next week’s games: Manisha of Kumari, Pramila of Real Madrid, Lama Kanchhi of GoSports Nepal, and Manda of Real Madrid.
The final games on Saturday, 6th of May are sure to be an exciting finish.
Organized by The WE United Project, the league is supported by the European Union in Nepal, HamroKitchen.com, The Last Resort and Paddle Nepal.
