Unbeaten Lalitpur vs resurgent Pokhara: NSL final set for thrilling showdown

Lalitpur City FC and Pokhara Thunders will play on Saturday (April 26) in the final match of the third edition of the Nepal Super League (NSL).

The common factor between the two teams is that they defeated Dhangadhi FC, the two-time runner-up, in the qualifiers. Notably, both Lalitpur and Pokhara managed to beat Dhangadhi despite being reduced to 10 players. 

The league-stage match between Pokhara and Lalitpur had also been competitive, with Lalitpur edging out Pokhara 3-2. Lalitpur will look to maintain that momentum and remain unbeaten to clinch the title.

Pokhara Thunders, on the other hand, are aiming to hand Lalitpur their first defeat in 10 matches and become champions for the first time. 

Lalitpur City FC 

Defending champions Lalitpur City FC are the only unbeaten team this season. Remaining undefeated in all six league-stage matches, Lalitpur topped the table and advanced to the playoffs.

Having secured a spot in the first qualifier, Lalitpur booked their place in the final by defeating Dhangadhi. They had kicked off their title defence with a 2-2 draw against Kathmandu Rayzrs in their opening match.

In the first three league matches, Lalitpur had one win and two draws. In the remaining three, they secured two wins and one draw. Their first victory came in the second match, where they beat Pokhara 3-2. However, they were held to a goalless draw by Dhangadhi FC in the third match.

Lalitpur boosted their playoff chances by beating FC Chitwan 2-1 in their fourth match. They then secured a playoff spot early with a 2-0 win over Butwal Lumbini in the fifth game. In their last league match, they drew 1-1 with Jhapa FC.

As the league leaders, Lalitpur faced second-placed Dhangadhi in the first qualifier. Despite playing most of the match with one player down, Lalitpur managed a 2-1 victory.

In that match, Lalitpur’s Mani Lama and Pape Diakite received red cards. Following the game, Lalitpur appealed against the red card decisions for both players. After discussions with the appeal committee, the NSL organising committee reversed the red card decision for Mani Lama and informed the team accordingly.

This means Lama will now be eligible to play in the final. 

Pokhara Thunders 

The Pokhara Thunders have reached the NSL final for the first time. However, their journey didn’t begin as expected. After a shaky start, Pokhara made a remarkable comeback, delivering strong performances in the latter stages to secure a place in the final.

In the league stage, Pokhara finished fourth with two wins, two draws, and two losses from six matches. Although they had the same 8 points as Kathmandu RayZrs, Pokhara edged ahead due to a better goal difference, earning a lucky spot in the playoffs. Their journey reflects a combination of both effort and fortune.

Pokhara have remained unbeaten in their last six matches out of eight played this season, proving they are deserving finalists. After losing their first two matches, they went unbeaten in the next four league games, collecting 8 points and securing their place in the playoffs.

After losing their first match 2-0 to FC Chitwan and the second 3-2 to Lalitpur City, Pokhara Thunders found themselves under early pressure. Many had labelled Pokhara a weak team and expected them to exit during the league stage.

However, Pokhara made a comeback by defeating the first edition’s champions, Kathmandu Rayzrs, 2-0. They then played a goalless draw against last season’s runners-up, Dhangadhi FC, and a 1-1 draw with Jhapa FC, which made their playoff journey more challenging.

But a 2-0 win over Butwal Lumbini in their final league match secured Pokhara a spot in the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Finishing fourth in the league, Pokhara faced third-placed FC Chitwan in the Eliminator.

In the Eliminator, Pokhara comfortably beat FC Chitwan 3-0 and advanced to the second qualifier, where, despite being down to ten players, they defeated last season’s runners-up Dhangadhi FC 1-0 to reach the final.

Interestingly, last season, Lalitpur had also finished fourth in the league but went on to reach the final and win the title. Pokhara’s journey this season is shaping up in a similar way.

Pokhara finished fourth in the league stage, which meant they had to play one more playoff match than Lalitpur.

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