Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Kathmandu: Striker Bharat Khawas scored a hat-trick as Nepal hammered debutants Northern Mariana Islands 6-0 in their opening match of the AFC Challenge Cup 2014 qualifiers on Saturday.
The Nepalese, playing their first competitive match under the charge of newly appointed head coach Jack Stefanowski, were in top form from the outset with Khawas scoring his first of the day as early as the 4th minute.
Striker Santosh Sahukhala made it 2-0 in the 30th minute and Khawas scored his second with four minutes of the first half remaining as the hosts took a three-goal cushion into the break.
Midfielder Raju Tamang converted a penalty while defender Sandeep Rai scored the fifth goal in the 68th minute. Khawas completed his hat-trick in the 72nd minute as Nepal started with a big win to go top of the table ahead of Palestine who defeated Bangladesh 1-0 earlier in the day.
Nepal have only only missed on taking part in the AFC Challenge Cup finals once since the tournaments inception, with the South Asians failing to qualify for the 2010 edition in Sri Lanka, and a win over Bangladesh on Monday will see them through in the 2014 finals if the Northern Mariana Islands fail to beat Palestine in the other tie on the same day.