Nepal defeats Maldives to reach semi-finals in SAFF U-19 Championship

KATHMANDU, Sep 25: Host country Nepal has reached the semi-finals of the U-19 SAFF Championship tournament, defeating Maldives by 4-1 in the second match of the group stage.

Nepal dominated Maldives from the start, scoring two goals in the first half. Nepal added two more goals in the second half and Maldives scored one goal in response.

Both Pakistan and Nepal have proceeded to the semi-finals from Group 'A', finishing with four and three points respectively. However, Maldives is out of the title race after losing to Nepal in the last match of the group stage.

From Group 'B', India and Bhutan have guaranteed their spot in the semi-finals of the tournament. But the group winner is yet to be decided. Bangladesh has been eliminated from the title race after losing two matches in a row.