Church Boys United Crowned Mechinagar Gold Cup Champions in Style
In a thrilling finale at the Kakarvitta Ground on Saturday, Church Boys United stamped their authority in Jhapa's football scene by clinching the 5th Mechinagar Gold Cup title with a narrow 1-0 victory over hosts Kakarvitta Football Training Center. The reigning Martyrs' Memorial 'A' Division League champions made their maiden Mechinagar triumph memorable, with striker Sameer Tamang emerging as the night's hero. Tamang's 11th-minute strike—capitalizing on a defensive error by Kakarvitta's Hemant Limbu—proved decisive in a tightly contested encounter where both sides squandered several scoring chances. With the win, Church Boys United walked away with a cash prize of Rs 1 million, while valiant runners-up Kakarvitta FTC settled for Rs 500,000. Despite falling short of a historic home title, Kakarvitta's skipper Khamir Gilsan Rai was named Player of the Tournament, a testament to his leadership and consistency throughout the competition. This title marks Church Boys' fourth trophy in the Mofasal circuit this season, underlining their growing dominance beyond the capital. Their path to the crown was anything but easy—beginning with a nail-biting sudden-death win over Jhapa FC in the opener and a pulsating 4-3 comeback victory against Machhindra FC in the semifinals. Kakarvitta FT had a stellar run—outclassing India's Georgian FC 4-2 in their opening clash and overcoming Dharan FC via sudden death in a tense semifinal. The tournament also saw Church Boys' Abayomi Fakunle and Machhindra's Yusuf Malik finish as joint top scorers with three goals. Other standout performers included Church Boys' Tikendra Thapa (Best Goalkeeper), Suman Shrestha (Best Coach), Kakarvitta's Diwas Urau (Best Defender), and Parshu Rai (Emerging Player). The awards were handed out in a grand closing ceremony, graced by Koshi Province Chief Minister Hikmat Karki and MLA GOPAL TAMANG. Hotel Mechi Crown, the event's title sponsor, ensured players were duly rewarded—the Player of the Tournament bagged Rs 51,000, the top scorers shared Rs 25,000 each, and the best goalkeeper and coach received Rs 21,000 each. The Emerging Player award carried a purse of Rs 15,000. In a tournament brimming with local pride and electric football, Church Boys United stood tall as deserving champions—raising the bar in Nepal's ever-competitive football landscape.
