In the semifinals of the Ilam Gold Cup, New Road Team (NRT) triumphed over Rolling Club Dhulabari Jhapa in a 4–3 tiebreaker victory, securing a place in the final. The match ended in a 1–1 draw during regular time, with NRT’s Ashish Gurung, Sonam S Limbu, Aditya Shakya, and Shishir Lekhi scoring in the shootout. The final will be contested between New Road Team and Machhindra Football Club Kathmandu, with the winner claiming a prize of NPR 1 million. (April 23, Ilam)
In the last semifinal match of the third NRNA Ilam Gold Cup, NRT successfully reached the final in front of the home crowd by defeating Rolling Club Dhulabari Jhapa. After the match tied 1–1 at the end of regular play, the result was decided by a penalty shootout in which NRT prevailed 4–3.
During injury time in the first half, NRT’s Laxu Thapamagar provided a long-range assist that Vijyan Khadka converted into a beautiful goal with a low cross shot. In the 81st minute, Rolling’s Faguram Chaudhary responded with a one-touch strike. With no further goals added before the final whistle, the match proceeded to penalties. In the shootout, NRT’s captain Ashish Gurung, Sonam S Limbu, Aditya Shakya, and Shishir Lekhi scored, while Rolling’s Pujan Thapa, Pratap Singh Rai, and Ningma Ghising also converted their attempts.
Rolling’s Ram Bahadur Shah faced excellent saves by NRT goalkeeper Vishal Sunuwar. Attempts on goal by Chaudhary and Khadka narrowly missed, going over the crossbar. Both teams’ scorers in regular time were Chaudhary and Khadka. Vishal Sunuwar, who made crucial saves during the shootout, was named ‘Man of the Match.’ The final match is scheduled for April 25, Saturday, between New Road Team and Machhindra Football Club Kathmandu. Aiming for a hat-trick of titles, NRT has won the Ilam Gold Cup in the previous two editions. Organized by Red Horse Football Club Ilam, the NRN Ilam Gold Cup will award NPR 1 million to the champion and NPR 500,000 to the runner-up.
