Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kathmandu: Nepal Police Club (NPC) will be travelling to the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh to feature in the AFC President’s Cup group stage with sky-high confidence following a domestic British Gurkha Cup triumph over arch-rivals Three Star Club.
The policemen recorded a 2-0 win, thanks to goals from Yogesh Shrestha and Bharat Shah and the brilliance of Nepali international goalkeeper Ritesh Thapa.
“The national league finished around January and we were a bit worried about the match fitness of the players but this tournament gave us all the confidence ahead of the big occasion,” club’s team manager and Nepal’s legendary striker Hari Khadka told www.the-afc.com referring to the AFC President’s Cup group stage matches starting next week.
The 2007 AFC President’s Cup finalists are pitted aganist continental rivals Dordoi Dynamo of Kyrgyzstan to whom they lost the final 2-1 five years ago. Hosts Phnom Penh Crown FC and Bhutan’s Yeedzin FC are the other two teams in Group B.
The AFC President’s Cup regulars are leaving for Phnom Penh on Wednesday and will take on tournament’s favourite Dordoi Dynamo on Saturday.
Pakistan’s KRL Football Club will host Group A in Lahore where defending champions Taiwan Power Company of Chinese Taipei and tournament debutants Erchim FC of Mongolia will join them. The Group C matches amongst FC Istiklol (Tajikistan), Balkan of Turkmenistan and Palestine’s Al Amari Youth Club will take place in Tajikistan.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the finals to be played from September 24 to 30, 2012 and the hosts of the finals will be announced later.