Durand Cup 2025: 1 Ladakh FC earns a historic point after drawing with Tribhuvan Army

Debutant 1 Ladakh FC made a dream start of his Maiden Durand Cup campaign after holding a 1-1 draw by the seasoned Nepalese Side Tribhuvan Army FC in a hard-fought group C-Meeting at the JRD Tata Sports Complex.

Tribhuvan-head coach Megh Raj KC made three changes to his starting line-up and brought in goalkeeper Bikesh Kuthu, Aviskar Khadka and Nirajan Dhami instead of Samit Shrestha, Aayush Timsina and Nawayugate Shrestha. Ladakh boss Rajan Mani played a strong eleven in a 4-3-3 formation with the trio of Kamalesh, Ajay and Bharanyu, who led the attack.

Defender Siju went in the opener to script history in the 23rd minute as the very first Ladakhi player who scored in the iconic tournament, before the Nirajan Dhami of the Tribhuvan-Army was right with a quiet finish just before the break.

Tribhuvan dominated the possession during the opening changes, but struggled to create clear opportunities until the last 20 minutes. By the 35th minute, Tribhuvan grew in the game and in the 40th minute Nirajan Dhami supplied a composed finish, ticking in a browse after a quick counterattack to level the score and perform a trademark ‘Siu’ celebration.

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The second half started with Tribhuvan who pushed forward with urgency, dominating possession and setting the pace. Their midfield started to dictate the game and created several half chances through both flanks. Despite the pressure, the defense of 1 Ladakh remained determined, anchored by a disciplined backline and sharp keepers.

Although the Nepal side came close a few times, in particular with a curly effort that the pole missed closely, it could not convert its chances. Ladakh showed Grit and Heart and made sure that the game ended in a well-deserved 1-1-drawing game.