Kathmandu [Nepal], August 24 (ANI): On Friday, August 23, 2024, the sparse crowd at the ANFA Complex in Kathmandu, Nepal, waited and waited and finally got to watch what a fan generally wants to in a game of football. A goal! The spectators' patience was eventually rewarded deep into the add-on time of the second half. In the 95th minute, substitute Manglenthang Kipgen stole the ball from Adam Shiyaan and placed it in the bottom corner with a brilliant left-footer to hand India a 1-0 victory and send them into the semi-finals of the SAFF U20 Championship 2024 with an all-win record in the group.
It was certainly not something that the football lovers of Kathmandu hadn't seen before. Just about a year ago, in the SAFF U19 Championships, Kipgen would not have struck most as a player who would get many minutes on the pitch. In fact, he did not start in any match and clocked only 82 minutes on the pitch in the entire tournament.
The lack of game time could hardly deter Kipgen from proving his mettle. The youngster maximized whatever time he had on the pitch, even scoring a brace in the final, a 3-0 victory against Pakistan. In the end, he was adjudged the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
Kipgen's fortunes have not changed much, it seems, when it comes to getting a spot in the starting eleven. However, the 19-year-old carries on with his remarkable Sisyphean attitude. "I just want to play.
Every time I see that I'm not in the starting XI, it just makes me more hungry to perform .