National League: Army, Planning, and Chitlang Victorious
The highly anticipated National League campaign kicked off with shockwaves on the 4th day, as heavyweights Manang Marsyangdi Club (MMC) suffered a catastrophic 5-0 defeat at the hands of Tribhuvan Army Club at the Dasharath Stadium. On a day filled with dramatic action across two venues, newcomers Planning Boys United announced their arrival with a stunning victory over Nepal Police Club. At the same time, Chitlang FC edged past Nava Janajagriti Yuwa Club. **Army Demolishes the Record Champions** In the headline fixture at Tripureshwor, the eight-time A-Division champions MMC endured a nightmare start to the season. Facing a disciplined Tribhuvan Army side led by one of the country’s most successful contemporary coaches, Balgopal Maharjan, MMC looked entirely out of depth. The departmental giants opened the scoring early, with Nabin Lama finding the net in the 15th minute. The pressure continued to mount, and Nirajan Dhami doubled the lead in the 34th minute, sending Army into the break with a comfortable 2-0 cushion. The second half saw no respite for the Manang defense. Veteran striker Navayug Shrestha added a third in the 67th minute, effectively killing the contest. Nirajan Dhami grabbed his second of the match in the 77th minute, before captain Gillespie Jang Karki sealed the one-sided affair with a goal in the first minute of injury time.  **Planning Boys Upset Police** Earlier at the Dasharath Stadium, league debutants Planning Boys United produced the first upset of the tournament, defeating the departmental Nepal Police Club (NPC) 1-0. Despite NPC’s experience, the newly promoted A-Division side showed resilience and struck the decisive blow shortly after halftime. Shankar Tharu became the hero for Planning Boys, scoring the match-winner in the 52nd minute. The goal proved enough to secure all three points, marking a dream debut for the club in the National League.  **Chitlang FC Wins Battle of the Qualifiers** Meanwhile, at the ANFA Complex in Satdobato, the day’s action began with a competitive clash between two teams that qualified via the ANFA President’s Cup. Chitlang FC emerged victorious with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Simara’s Nava Janajagriti Yuwa Club. Chitlang took the lead in the 28th minute through Matthew Babatunde. However, Nava Janajagriti responded quickly, with Udit Narayan leveling the score just eight minutes later in the 36th minute. The deadlock was broken in the second half when Solomon Elisanmi struck in the 62nd minute. His goal proved to be the decider, handing Chitlang a winning start to their campaign.  **League Context** The ongoing National League features a total of 17 teams—comprising 13 existing A-Division clubs and 4 teams qualified through the ANFA President’s Cup. Notably, this edition of the league is being played without a relegation system, allowing teams to play with more freedom as the tournament progresses.
