There was magic in the air at Pokhara Stadium as Three Star Club, led by the ever-reliable Yogesh Gurung, carved their way into the quarterfinals of the Aha Rara Pokhara Gold Cup with a nail-biting 2-1 win over home-turf heroes Sahara Club.

Gurung, the Captain Fantastic, etched his name onto the scoresheet early on, pouncing on a rebound in the 5th minute and burying it past Sahara’s valiant keeper, Tikendra Thapa. It was a clinical finish, setting the tone for a pulsating encounter.

But Sahara wasn’t about to roll over in their own backyard. Ashish Gurung, a name that will surely resonate in Pokhara for years to come, rose to the occasion in the 23rd minute, meeting Laxman Ruchal’s free-kick with a bullet header that left Three Star scrambling. The equalizer sent the home crowd into a frenzy.

With time ticking away, the tension was palpable. Both teams threw everything they had at each other, but Angel Maharjan emerged as the match’s ultimate hero. In the 59th minute, he unleashed a screamer that cannoned past Thapa and into the net, sending the Three Star faithful into absolute raptures.

This hard-fought victory propels Three Star into a Saturday showdown with Bhutan’s Paro FC, where they’ll aim to book their ticket to the semis. And judging by the fire they displayed against Sahara, football fans can expect another epic battle for supremacy in the Rara Gold Cup.