The league stage of the Nepal Super League 2023 proved to be a captivating spectacle, marked by a blend of drama, excitement, intense competition among players, and a series of unexpected results.
Nepal’s only franchise football league, which started a month ago, witnessed 36 thrilling league matches between nine teams.
Following a series of gruelling and dramatic matches, Pokhara Thunders, Dhangadhi FC, Kathmandu Rayzrs, and Lalitpur City FC will compete against each other in the playoffs to be crowned Nepal Super League champions.
While Dhangadi, Kathmandu and Lalitpur have all been here before during the first edition of the Nepal Super League, table toppers Pokhara will be taking part in their first as they bid to win the championship with their young team.
Standing in their way, however, will be Dhangadi who finished runners-up in the first edition of Nepal Super League held in 2021. Kathmandu, who are the defending champions, will also prove to be a tough test along with Lalitpur who would want to better their third-place finish in the first edition.
Pokhara, who narrowly missed the playoffs in 2021 due to goal difference, have clinched the top spot in the standings for the current season. They secured 15 points from eight games, boasting a record of four wins, three draws, and one loss. Dhangadhi claimed the second position with 13 points earned with three wins, four draws, and one loss. Kathmandu finished third accumulating 12 points with three wins, three draws, and two losses. Despite losing two in a row, Lalitpur finished the fourth with 10 points with two wins, four draws and two losses.
Lalitpur, however, can consider themselves fortunate as they finished with the same number of points as Jhapa FC and Butwal Lumbini. However, Lalitpur managed to secure a spot in the playoffs by a superior goal difference.
4 teams 1 cup
The playoffs will consist of four games, including the final. The first qualifier, scheduled for Monday, will feature a face-off between the top two teams, Pokhara and Dhangadhi. The winner of this match will secure a direct spot in the final while the losing team will still have another opportunity to reach the final in the next qualifier.
In their recent league stage encounter, Pokhara and Dhangadhi battled to a draw, with Pokhara scoring a last-minute goal to equalize after Dhangadhi initially took the lead.
Tuesday will see Kathmandu take on Lalitpur in the eliminator. If the last game between them is anything to go by, this valley derby where the loser will go home will likely see a record crowd for an NSL match.
The winner of this match will then face the loser of Pokhara and Dhangadi on Thursday to book a ticket to the final of the Nepal Super League 2023 on Saturday. All matches during the playoff will start at 5.30 pm.
The winner of the Nepal Super League 2023 will receive a cash prize of Rs 7.5 million.
