Football
Nepal put on their best display in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup qualifying campaign before going down 4-2 to Chinese Taipei in a Group F tie on Sunday.
Nepal fought back twice in the match but the East Asians prevailed on the back of Lin Hai-cheng brace at the Viet Tri Stadium in Vietnam.
Lin gave the East Asians the lead in the third minute, but captain Prashant Laksam drew Nepal level seven minutes later.
Tai Yan-yao then found the net in the 28th minute to give Chinese Taipei a 2-1 advantage going into the break.
Dhan Singh BK equalised for Nepal just after the hour mark.
But Nepal's fightback was scuppered in the 80th minute when they were reduced to 10 players. Dipak Thapa Magar was sent off after collecting his second yellow for a fierce challenge on an advancing opposition player.
Lu Yi-Ting converted the resulting free-kick to restore Chinese Taipei's lead. And nine minutes later, Lin added his second to seal the victory.
Despite the loss, Nepal took heart from their spirited showing, considering a 3-0 defeat to Thailand and 5-0 humiliation at the hands of hosts Vietnam in their first two games.
Vietnam qualified for the finals as they defeated Thailand 3-0 to finish as Group F winners.
Vietnam completed their campaign with a nine-point record, while Thailand will have to wait to know if they will advance as one of the best six runners-up.
The qualifying campaign featuring 43 AFC members will see 10 group winners qualify directly, with the six best runners-up joining them for the next year’s finals.
