Nepal Police Club's quest for 7th title faces strong challenge from Black Bulls FC

Pokhara, Feb. 15: Nepal Police Club (NPC) has a rich history in Pokhara’s Aaha Rara Gold Cup, which started in 2001 as the Caravan Cup. From 2002, the tournament was launched as the 1st Aaha Rara Pokhara Gold Cup.

The organisers, Sahara Academy of Pokhara, jumped to the 22nd edition in 2022 from the 2oth edition in 2021 to include the Caravan Cup as one of the official editions of one of Nepal’s prestigious domestic knock-out tournament.

NPC lifted the first two editions in 2001 and 2002 and is the joint-successful team of the Gold Cup alongside the Manang Marsyangdi Club (MMC). Both clubs have six titles each. 

Similarly, NPC is the only team in the Pokhara-based tournament to win the title thrice in a row (2007, 2008 and 2009). Their last title came in the 16th edition in 2017 after defeating then four-time champions Three Star Club in the final.

NPC had the chance to take their title number to seven in the 18th edition in 2019, but it lost to MMC in the final in penalties (4-3), the win that awarded MMC its sixth Aaha Rara Pokhara Gold Cup title. It was the 10th time that NPC had reached the final of the tournament.

Nepal Police had also lost their chance for the title after losing in the finals of the second and third editions in 2003 and 2004 respectively. 

Now, NPC will be playing in the final of the Aaha Rara Pokhara Gold Cup for the 11th time eying the title for the seventh time when they face Black Bulls FC on Saturday (Feb. 15).

“This tournament is special for Nepal Police Club; furthermore, this edition turned better,” said Chetan Ghimire, head coach of the team. He said so citing the win in the semi-final against Church Boys United on February 12 as it was NPC’s 50th game in the Aaha Rara Gold Cup, while the fixture was the 250th game of the tournament.

Thus, coach Ghimire believes that his team, even without star players, can lift the title once again. Moreover, Ghimire, who has lifted the title multiple times with NPC before as a player, sees it as the best chance to showcase the results of the hard work by the departmental side. 

“We do not have star players, but we have groomed well. U20 players,” said Ram Wajee, captain of the NPC.

Similarly, talking to The Rising Nepal after the pre-final conference at Pokhara Rangasala on Friday, coach Ghimire argued that he expected a big crowd at the stadium for the final.

“There has not been much of a crowd until the semis, but the final might be different. We would love to perform in front of a packed stadium as it would motivate us against a foreign club; crowd is always the 12th man, and we would benefit from them in the final,” Ghimire told The Rising Nepal.

Meanwhile, NPC will not have an easy time in the final against Uzbekistan’s Black Bulls FC. The club, alongside UK’s Brigade Boys Club, had reached the quarter-final stage without playing in the playoffs. 

Still, Black Bulls defeated two good teams in the quarter and semi-finals to be only the fourth foreign club to play in the final of the Aaha Rara Gold Cup. 

“I watched NPC players. They are short, but fast. We are analysing them properly and will play accordingly to win the title,” said Abdulaziz Nishonbaev, head coach of Black Bulls.

He also praised the organisers for giving them the chance to play in the tournament. “There are not much domestic tournaments in Uzbekistan disallowing players to play enough. We are happy to be in Nepal and play football,” Nishonbaev added.

Nevertheless, coach Ghimire argued that his team and players were mentally and physically prepared to face Black Bulls for the title.

Of the four losses in the final of the Aaha Rara Gold Cup so far, NPC lost once to a foreign side. They had lost to African United in the fifth edition in 2004. African United is the only foreign club to have won the Aaha Rara Gold Cup in its previous 23 editions.