Kathmandu, Aug. 14: Captaining Bhutan’s Paro FC in the preliminary match of the AFC Challenge League 2024 against Nepal’s Church Boys United, Japan’s Keisuke Honda led the team to a win at Dasharath Rangasala Tuesday evening. 

It was probably 38-year-old Honda’s first time playing on such poor ground in his professional football career; he had already expressed the ground as a joke while training there a day before the match.

Paro FC defeated Church Boys United (CBU) 2-1 by the end of 90 minutes despite the Martyr’s A-Division League 2023 winner leading first. 

Honda’s chance to score in Nepal came in the 30th minute when his shot struck the crossbar. The free kick, a low-flying ball that sailed past the defenders, would have beaten the keeper had it been on target.

Meanwhile, the first goal came in the 38th minute when Laken Limbu, playing his first game for CBU, slotted the ball into the net after a header assist from Moses Gyabah Twam. 

However, Kinga Wangchuk equalised less than two minutes later, capitalising on a mistake by the keeper, who came forward but failed to clear the high ball, leaving Kinga with a clear shot on goal.

Since the beginning, the ball kept getting stuck on the grass, and the players struggled to maintain their balance on the uneven ground, which was dotted with black spots, indicating it had been neglected for months. In some areas, water splashed with each step. Players were trying more long shots and aerial passes due to the ground conditions. 

The conditions suggested that Dasharath Stadium might not be permitted to host any international club matches in the near future.

The best chance for CBU came in the 16th minute as Ayush Ghalan blocked the keeper but Chhiring Lama’s slow shot was stopped by Milos Cupic. It was followed by a better chance by Paro FC in the 18th minute, but William Opoku, a name known to Nepal’s domestic football, lost balance while shooting from inside the box. 

Nevertheless, the first half that ended 1-1 was turned into the favour of Paro FC by Opoku, who played for Birgunj in the Nepal Super League in December 2023. Opoku extended the lead in the ground he knew with a powerful shot just from the line of the 18-yard box in the 67th minute.

CBU’s coach turned to attacking after tailing and brought two set of fresh legs – Rohan Karki and Sanjib Bista – by subbing out tired Laken Limbu and Ayush Ghalan in the 70th minute. Nevertheless, Paro FC was also trying a similar tactic: attacking as the best form of defence.

Paro too brought No. 10, Yeshi Dorji, in the 74th minute subbing out goal scorer Kinga and Richard Gadze in the 88th. CBU struggled for proper attacking as they had to defend Paro’s pressure as well.

Peter Banda’s acrobatic attempt raised hopes in the 80th minute, but it didn’t result in a goal; the move earned him a yellow card for a foul instead. Subbed Sanjib got a shot in the 82nd minute but was saved. 

CBU’s final chance came in the final minutes of the 90+5 minutes but Moses headed the ball over the bar. 

Paro FC defended the one-goal lead until the end to win the match and progress to the Group Stage of the AFC Challenge League 2024 along with 17 other teams. 

As Paro’s coach Puspalal Sharma said after landing in Kathmandu that the team was prepared for the ground conditions after losing in the earlier season to then A-Division winner Machhindra FC.