2019–20 Martyr's Memorial A-Division League
Football league season
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The 2019–20 Martyr's Memorial A-Division League (Nepali: शहीद स्मारक ए डिभिजन लिग २०७६) season, also known as the Qatar Airways Martyr's Memorial A-Division League [2] for sponsorship reasons, was the 43rd edition of Nepal's Martyr's Memorial A-Division League since its establishment in 1954-55. A total of 18 teams competed in this edition of the league, which began on 14 December 2019 and concluded on 15 February 2020.
Season2019–20
Dates14 December 2019 – 15 February 2020
ChampionsMachhindra FC
RelegatedSaraswati Youth Club
| Season | 2019–20 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 14 December 2019 – 15 February 2020 |
| Champions | Machhindra FC |
| Relegated | Saraswati Youth Club |
| Matches | 91 |
| Goals | 210 (2.31 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Aashish Lama (9 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Machhindra 6–1 Saraswati (6 February 2020) |
| Highest scoring | Sankata 6–2 Saraswati (13 February 2020) |
| Longest winning run | Machhindra (5 matches) |
| Longest unbeaten run | Nepal Army Club (10 matches) |
| Longest winless run | Brigade Boys Club (9 matches) |
| Longest losing run | Brigade Boys Club Nepal APF Club Saraswati Youth Club (5 matches) |
| Highest attendance | 12,451 Machhindra 1–0 Army (15 February 2020) |
| Lowest attendance | 201 Army 2–1 Friends (15 December 2019) |
| Total attendance | 71,921 |
| Average attendance | 790 |
← 2018–19 2021–22 →
All statistics correct as of 15 February 2020. | |
Manang Marshyangdi Club were the defending champions.[3]
Machhindra Football Club were crowned league winners for the first time in the club's history on the last day of the league, after defeating Nepal Army Club 1–0. However, as only one club, Tribhuvan Army Club, could secure AFC club licensing, the second-placed team qualified for the 2021 AFC Cup preliminary round 1.[4]
Teams
A total of 14 teams, all based in the Kathmandu Valley, contested the league with a relegation system.[1] As there was no relegation in the previous season, all teams from the 2018–19 Martyr's Memorial A-Division League participated in the league.
Location
| Team | Location | Previous Season |
|---|---|---|
| Himalayan Sherpa Club | Kathmandu | 7th |
| Machhindra Football Club | 13th | |
| Manang Marshyangdi Club | 1st | |
| Nepal APF Club | 5th | |
| Nepal Army Club | 4th | |
| Nepal Police Club | 6th | |
| New Road Team | 14th | |
| Sankata BSC | 2nd | |
| Saraswati Youth Club | 9th | |
| Brigade Boys Club | Lalitpur | 12th |
| Chyasal Youth Club | 8th | |
| Friends Club | 11th | |
| Jawalakhel YC | 10th | |
| Three Star Club | 3rd |
Personnel and kits
| Team | Head Coach | Captain | Kit sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brigade Boys Club |  Sanoj Shrestha |
Anil Gurung[5] |
Nepal Investment Bank[6] |
| Chyasal Youth Club | Bal Gopal Sahukhala |
Santosh Sahukhala |
Himalaya College of Engineering,1[7] Grace International1[7] |
| Friends Club |  Marcus Filipe Sampaio Dantas[8] |
Saroj Yonjan |
Nepal Investment Bank |
| Himalayan Sherpa Club | Sanjeev Budhathoki |
Man Bahadur Tamang |
Yeti Airlines[9] |
| Jawalakhel YC | Naresh Thapa |
Kuldeep Karki |
Prabhu Bank |
| Machhindra Football Club | Prabesh Katuwal[10] |
Biraj Maharjan[5] |
San Miguel,[11] Pepe Pizza[12] |
| Manang Marshyangdi Club |  Fuja Tope[13] |
Kamal Shrestha[14] |
Nepal Oil Corporation[15] |
| Nepal APF Club | Rajendra Tamang |
Top Bahadur Bista |
Agni Mahindra |
| Nepal Army Club | Nabin Neupane |
Bharat Khawas |
Bajaj Pulsar |
| Nepal Police Club | Ananta Raj Thapa |
Bhola Nath Silwal |
Nepal Telecom |
| New Road Team | Raju Kaji Shakya[16] |
Prakash Budhathoki |
|
| Sankata BSC | Salyan Khadgi |
Saroj Dahal |
|
| Saraswati Youth Club | Pradeep Nepal |
Dipesh Shrestha |
|
| Three Star Club | Megh Raj KC |
Bikram Lama |
Ruslan Vodka |
- 1. ^On the back of shirt.
Foreign players
The ANFA allowed a maximum of four foreign players including one from SAARC-affiliated country per team.[17]
| Club | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | SAARC Player |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brigade Boys Club | Tajudeen Busari |
 George Vincent |
Isaac Olakaji |
 Mohammad Saukat |
| Chyasal Youth Club |  Junichi Ozawa[18] |
Tiaga Nakamura |
Hayato Wakino |
Muhammad Asif |
| Friends Club | Felipe de Almeida Souza[19] |
Saulo De Aquino[19] |
Wagner De Carmo[19] |
Uttam Rai |
| Himalayan Sherpa Club | Ulrich Siewe |
Stephane Samir |
 Mohamed Khairy |
|
| Jawalakhel YC | Dady Junior Wamba |
 Fode Fofana |
 Adama Doumbiya |
Kuber Bisht |
| Machhindra Football Club | Peter Segun[10] |
Oluwaunmi Somide Adelaja[10] |
Andres Nia[11] |
|
| Manang Marshyangdi Club | Femi Adewumi |
 Florent Koara |
 Vidal Luis Chissano |
Dayanand Singh |
| Nepal APF Club | ||||
| Nepal Army Club | ||||
| Nepal Police Club | ||||
| New Road Team | Andre Thierry Biyikbiyik |
Junior Onguene |
Yanick Owona |
|
| Sankata BSC | Ernest Tampi |
Ajayi Martins |
Messouke Oloumou |
Prahlad Roy |
| Saraswati Youth Club | Mbei Andre Ekwem |
 Meshack Mwankia |
Kazeem Busari |
|
| Three Star Club | Hamzat Wasiu |
Yves Priso |
Aliu Olas |
Lal Rammarva |
Venues
The league was played centrally in three venues in two cities in the Kathmandu Valley.
| Kathmandu | Lalitpur | |
|---|---|---|
| Dasarath Rangasala | Halchowk Stadium1 | ANFA Complex |
| Capacity: 15,000 | Capacity: 3,500 | Capacity: 6,000 |
 |
.JPG) |
|
- 1. ^Matches were scheduled to be played at Halchowk Stadium,[20] however, due to the bad condition of the pitch, no matches were played here.[citation needed]
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Machhindra FC (C) | 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 8 | +17 | 31[a] | |
| 2 | Nepal Army Club | 13 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 7 | +14 | 29 | Qualification for 2021 AFC Cup preliminary round 1[b] |
| 3 | Manang Marshyangdi Club | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 20 | 8 | +12 | 28 | |
| 4 | Three Star Club | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 9 | +9 | 26 | |
| 5 | Nepal Police Club | 13 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 12 | +3 | 20 | |
| 6 | Jawalakhel YC | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 9 | +1 | 19 | |
| 7 | Sankata BSC | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 18 | |
| 8 | New Road Team | 13 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 15[c] | |
| 9 | Chyasal Youth Club | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 17 | −4 | 15 | |
| 10 | Himalayan Sherpa Club | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 18 | −3 | 14 | |
| 11 | Friends Club | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 19 | −7 | 14 | |
| 12 | Nepal APF Club | 13 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 15 | 21 | −6 | 9 | |
| 13 | Brigade Boys Club | 13 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 15 | −10 | 9 | |
| 14 | Saraswoti Youth Club (R) | 13 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 36 | −26 | 4 | Relegation to 2022 Martyr's Memorial B-Division League |
Source: ANFA, GoalNepal
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Machhindra FC was deducted 1 point for finishing 13th (second-to-last) in the previous season.
- As the Champion Machhindra FC did not meet the qualification criteria for the 2021 AFC Cup, second placed Nepal Army Club was granted the spot.[citation needed]
- New Road Team was deducted 2 points for finishing 14th (last) in the previous season
Positions by round
| Leader | |
| Relegation to B-Division |
Season statistics
- As of 15 February 2020[21]
Scoring
Top Scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aashish Lama |
Nepal APF Club | 9 |
| 2 | Santosh Sahukhala |
Chyasal Youth Club | 7 |
| 3 | Anjan Bista |
Manang Marshyangdi Club | 6 |
| Bimal Rana | |||
| Nawayug Shrestha |
Nepal Army Club | ||
| Kazeem Adegoke Busari |
Saraswati Youth Club | ||
| 6 | Bijay Shrestha |
Himalayan Sherpa Club | 5 |
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanjog Rai |
Three Star Club | Saraswati Youth Club | 4–0[22] | 1 February 2020 |
| Ju Manu Rai |
Nepal Police Club | Friends Club | 3–0[23] | 13 February 2020 |
Clean sheets
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deep Karki |
Manang Marshyangdi Club | 8 |
| 2 | Bikesh Kuthu |
Nepal Army Club | 7 |
| Bishal Shrestha |
Machhindra FC | ||
| Yves Priso |
Three Star Club | ||
| 5 | Tekendra Thapa |
Jawalakhel YC | 5 |
| Ajit Prajapati |
New Road Team | ||
| 7 | Alan Neupane |
Chyasal Youth Club | 4 |
| Arun Blon |
Jawalakhel YC | ||
| Binaya Shrestha |
Sankata BSC | ||
| Bishal Sunar |
Brigade Boys Club | ||
| Dev Limbu |
Friends Club | ||
| Kishor Giri |
Himalayan Sherpa Club | ||
| 13 | Roshan Khadka |
Nepal Police Club | 3 |
| Shatrudhan Chaudhary |
Nepal Police Club | ||
| 15 | Amrit Kumar Chaudhary |
Nepal APF Club | 1 |
| Pradeep Bhandari |
Saraswati Youth Club |
Discipline
Player
- Most yellow cards: 4
Adama Doumbia (Jawalakhel Youth Club)
Hem Tamang (Nepal Police Club)- Prabesh Kunwar (Nepal Police Club)
Stepahne Samir (Himalayan Sherpa Club)
- Most red cards: 2
- Niraj Basnet (Himalayan Sherpa Club)
Team
- Most yellow cards: 27
- Most red cards: 3
Awards
End-of-season awards
| Award | Winner[24] | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Deep Karki | Manang Marshyangdi Club |
| Defender | Ananta Tamang | Three Star Club |
| Midfielder | Bishal Rai | Machhindra FC |
| Forward | Bharat Khawas | Nepal Army Club |
| Head Coach | Prabesh Katuwal | Machhindra FC |
| Mani Bikram Shah Youth Player | Darshan Gurung | New Road Team |
| Fair Play | Three Star Club | |
