The Nepal football team recorded a crushing 4-0 win over Bhutan while Bangladesh overcome Pakistan 1-0 in their respective matches of the SAFF Cup here on Thursday.
It was Ananta Tamag who rose in the 21st minute, following a corner from Sunit Bal to get Nepal ahead in the game.
Bhutan conceded the second goal after Nima Wangdi's second yellow resulted in a one-man deficit along with a penalty being awarded to Nepal in the 70th minute. Bimal Magar stepped in and his effort was saved by Ngawang Jamphel, but Sunil Bal made no mistake and struck the back of the net from the rebound.
With a one-man advantage, Nepal looked unstoppable and substitutes Bharat Khawas and Niranjan Khadka added to the team's tally before the final whistle was blown.
Nepal head coach Balgopal Maharjan spoke about the improvements from the last game, particularly in the attacking third and set pieces.
"After taking over the national team, I particularly focused and worked on the set pieces. We prepared and structured the players to get the best out of the set pieces and that's how we won," said Maharjan.
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Nepal will next face hosts Bangladesh to fight for a spot in the semi-finals.
For Bangladesh, Topu Barman scored the winner in the 85th minute.