Silwal scored at the hour’s mark to cancel out Zahid Hossain’s 43rd minute lead for the visitors who were a far better side than the last time the two sides met at the SAFF Championship in New Delhi in 2010.
Coach Krishna Thapa fielded a different attacking lineup than his usual choice of Jumanu Rai and Anil Gurung. He paired U-16 prodigy Bimal Gharti Magar with Bharat Khawas up front. But Thapa’s strategy backfired as Magar could do nothing beneficial for the team. Khawas, on the other hand, was unable to handle things on his own.
With Nepal lacking creativity up front despite occasional raids in the Bangla territory, the visitors made the best of the inability by making as many counter attacks they could. They finally got their reward when Hossain broke free from the patchy Nepali defense and made a darting run with only keeper Kiran Chemjong standing on his way.
A panic-stricken Chemjong left his boundaries to avert the danger but brought down Hossain as well in the attempt. In the resulting free kick, charged from just outside the D-box, Hossain curled his effort beyond the five-man Nepali defense, beating Chemjong at his near post.
Thapa made a couple of changes in his squad after the interval. Bijay Gurung entered the field in place of Raju Tamang and Jumanu Rai replaced Magar. Things improved instantly.
Nepal brought the game back in level terms in the 61st minute when Biraj Maharjan’s low cross from the right was spilled by ‘keeper Mohammad Maksudur Rahman, allowing Silwal to shoot home from close range. Nepal dominated the field thereafter but the score remained the same.
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