Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuching: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has congratulated Nepal for winning the inaugural AFC Solidarity Cup after they narrowly defeated Macau 1-0 on Tuesday night at the Sarawak Stadium in Malaysia.
“On behalf of the Asian football family, I would like to express my congratulations to Nepal for displaying tremendous team spirit and consistency throughout the competition.
“I am confident that this achievement will inspire tomorrow’s generation of footballers and fans and spur Nepal to even greater heights.”
The new competition was introduced to provide aspiring AFC Member Associations with more competitive opportunities to play at the international level. Shaikh Salman also paid tribute to the Local Organising Committee who assisted in the organisation of development workshops and activities held concurrently with the competition.
“Football development and education are the key areas of focus in the AFC Solidarity Cup. In every way, the AFC Solidarity Cup exemplifies the spirit of unity and professionalism envisaged under One Asia, One Goal.
“I would like to thank the Football Association of Malaysia and the Local Organising Committee for staging a successful competition for our aspiring Member Associations to enhance their capabilities, both on and off the pitch.”
After 14 days of action, the AFC Solidarity Cup 2016 culminated in the final between two teams who established themselves as favourites after topping their respective groups.
Prior to the final, both Macau and Nepal were unbeaten throughout the competition and showed immense resolve to overcome their opponents in the semi-finals, edging Brunei and Laos respectively on penalties. In the end, however, it was Nepal who emerged victorious courtesy of a solitary goal from Sujal Shreshtha in the 29th minute.
Earlier on Monday, Laos defeated Brunei 3-2 to finish third in the competition.
Photo: AFC