African United Club beat Manang Marshaygdi Club to enter final

2014-04-2
An assembled team from African players African United Club (AUC) beat league and three times champions Manang Marshaygdi Club (MMC) by 2-1 to enter finals of the 16th Budha Subba Gold Cup 2014 at Dharan played on Wednesday. Segun Okinade and Babatunde scored a piece of goal for winning sides in the 19th minute and 93rd minute of the match respectively and Yona Elias scored for MMC in the 81st minute of the match. It was MMC who started the match in impressive note and we saw some quick passes between Deepak Rai and Biraj Maharjan in the 4th minute but Maharjan’s shot went inch above the bar. AUC player Victor was smart to give a good pass to Elvis but MMC defender did their best to deny Elvis’s shot in the 6th minute of the match.

MMC forward Yona Elias did his best to beat defender Peter Segun and formal did well in the first attempt but latter denied formal one to send ball out in the 8th minute. AUC’s custodian Binaya Shrestha was smart enough to deny Sujal Shrestha’s one VS one shot and Anil Gurung’s header in the 12th minute and 16th minute respectively. African United Club took a lead in the 18th minute through Segun Aginade to utilize poor defense line of MMC to make 1-0 up against MMC. With a goal lead AUC players looked confident and on the other hand MMC players looked desperate for an equalizer but they failed to penetrate Africans defender. MMC wasted two great opportunities in the 28th minute and 33rd minute as Anil Gurung and Sujal Shrestha failed to strike their powerful shot in the frame respectively. AUC defender did well to deny Shrestha’s powerful free kick in the 37th minute. Deepak Rai also missed a chance to take a lead as his free kick hit the forest of legs in the 41st minute. In the second half MMC tried their best to level the score and therefore they played attacking football on the other hand AUC looked satisfied with a lone goal lead and choose to play defensive football. Anil Gurung was unlucky in the 62nd minute and 67th minute as his lovely header and left footed shot went little above the bar respectively. MMC was unlucky as their forwards, Yona Elias, Anil Gurung, Nirajan Malla and Bishal Rai all failed to beat AUC’s hard solid defense line in the 70th minute, 72nd minute, 78th minute and 79th minute respectively. However, MMC finally broke the deadlock of AUC in the 81st minute through Yona Elias as he utilized Sagar Thapa’s brilliant chip to make 1-1. After an equalizing goal MMC looked more confident and they played aggressive football to take a lead but they failed to do so and match went in the extra time of 15 minutes. In the first half of extra time, AUC started the match in good note and took an early lead in the 93rd minute through Babatunde to make 2-1 up against MMC. MMC tried their best to level the score in the remaining time but failed to crack down the AUC’s defenders and match ended in favor of AUC by 2-1 goals to enter the final of the 16th Budha Subba Gold Cup 2014.