Kathmandu, April 24, 2017: Kumari took the second spot on the table after defeating Go Sports Nepal this at the ongoing Mahila Premier League (MPL). Captain Baby Gurung of Kumari was the first scorer of the match. She received a well-timed pass from high scorer Manisha Thapa within minutes of the game starting. The pressure grew as Sharmila Gurung from Kumari drove home some powerful and accurate shots.
With two weeks to go for the finale of MPL, Real Madrid is firmly in the top spot. And, with second place up for grabs, the stakes were high, the game between the two teams was heated at times. Kumari players received two yellow cards: Bhabina Rai for a bad tackle against Muna Tamang, and Baby Gurung for preventing the Go Sports Nepal keeper from releasing the ball. Can Go Sports Nepal, who previously topped the League, bounce back from slipping into third place behind Real Madrid and Kumari?
Goal Diggers continued climbing the table by adding another win against CloudFactory, with Mamata Magar scoring the opening goal. At 2-0, CloudFactory’s Captain Basanti Neupane lifted her teams hopes by breaking through Goal Diggers defence to score, but they responded with Mumata making it 3-1 and scoring her first hat trick. The second half started with problems for CloudFactory, as Goal Diggers scored their fourth goal and Neliya Gurung had to come off with an ankle injury. She made a comeback before the end of the game and scored the second goal for CloudFactory, but that was not enough to prevent Goal Diggers from taking the game 4-2.
Real Madrid won against Apex Girls 25 – 1. Although Sabeeta from Apex took Real Madrid defense by surprise with a goal a few minutes into the game, Real Madrid demonstrated their fast pace passing, teamwork, ball control and accurate shots, countering Sabeeta’s shot with a flurry of goals. Team Captain Pramila (Pari) and Manda worked well together both assisting and scoring, proving too much for the resilient Apex goalie. Real’s defense was also strong as Mani secured their side of the field. Nonetheless, Apex enjoyed the game and did not get discouraged even as the score gap widened. After the game they acknowledged Real Madrid’s strength, shaking hands after the final whistle.
ABC saw victory against Leeyash, winning 7 – 1. Leeyash’s game started well, with experienced Captain Jannie Kwok’s clean passes enabling the first goal for Leeyash, scored by Akriti Rai. In the first half of the match, ABC appeared frustrated with their lack of coordination, and things weren’t going their way as Sushma Karki missed several opportunities to score. However, ABC’s striker Deepa turned things around for ABC, and she scored 2 goals in quick succession, motivating her team. The second half of the game proved challenging for Leeyash, and they were worn out and could not hold against the fast plays and close marking from ABC.
Pramila (Pari) from Real Madrid added another 11 goals to her tally, taking the lead with a total of 23 goals to become top scorer followed by Manisha Thapa from Kumari and Laxmi Tamang from Go Sports Nepal, each with 21 goals.
The MPL is supported by European Union in Nepal, HamroKitchen.com, the Last Resort and Paddle Nepal.
Photos Courtesy: Ajay Pant
