PSG beats valiant minnow Les Herbiers 2-0 to win French Cup

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PSG’s Thiago Silva, center right, with Les Herbiers’ Sebastien Flochon, center left, lift up the trophy with the whole PSG team after the French Cup final between Paris Saint Germain and Les Herbiers at the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, on Tuesday, May 8, 2018. Photo: Associated Press

SAINT-DENIS: Moments before lifting the French Cup again, Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva beckoned the valiant skipper from beaten third division side Les Herbiers to join him.

After a moment’s hesitation, unheralded Sebastien Flochon shuffled across to the Brazil defender and they held the trophy aloft together.

It was a fitting tribute to the resilience of the tiny club from western France following its 2-0 defeat against vastly superior opposition.

The performance by the players of Les Herbiers — whose average annual salary of about 30,000 euros ($36,000) dwarfs the massive pay packets at PSG — was full of courage and spirited defending.

It earned a guard of honor from PSG and a rousing ovation from the traveling, red-and-white clad fans of Les Herbiers.

The club’s coffers will also be significantly boosted, with the third division team earning 1.5 million euros ($1.8 million) — 75 percent of its annual budget.

That’s a drop in the ocean for PSG, which has an annual budget of more than 500 million euros.

A fourth straight French Cup and League Cup double seemed assured. But while PSG secured a domestic treble, the team made hard work of seeing off Les Herbiers — whose population of 16,000 is five times less than the capacity of the Stade de France.

PSG fielded its strongest side and went close several times before midfielder Giovani Lo Celso opened the scoring after 26 minutes.

PSG then missed a succession of chances, and had a goal from Kylian Mbappe disallowed by the Video Assistant Referee system, before Edinson Cavani slotted in a penalty in the 74th minute.

Roared on by its fans, Les Herbiers went close when substitute Clement Couturier raced through in injury time.

PSG coach Unai Emery hugged his counterpart Stephane Masala after the final whistle, visibly impressed by the way his superbly-organized side had resisted so well.

“I’m very proud of my players, my club, and my town,” Masala said. “We held on and didn’t get routed. At the end, we even almost scored.”

Masala’s players continue their fight to avoid relegation to the fourth tier with a crucial match on Friday.

PSG won a record-extending 12th French Cup and claimed a 42nd straight victory in domestic cup competitions since Jan. 2014.

While PSG’s stars head to the World Cup in Russia in June, this is likely to remain the biggest game of their lives for Les Herbiers.

Before kickoff the team met French President Emmanuel Macron, who said “enjoy yourself” as he shook the hand of each player.

Masala told Macron “you’re a source of inspiration for me,” referring to his improbable rise to the presidency last year.

Les Herbiers had the first shot in the first minute, deflected by a defender for a corner. It was all PSG after that.

Lo Celso and Mbappe hit the post, winger Angel Di Maria headed over and Lo Celso struck the woodwork again, all inside 20 minutes.

Then, Lo Celso picked his spot from 22 meters (yards) with a curling strike into the bottom left corner.

Cavani was denied by goalkeeper Matthieu Pichot and, moments later, Mbappe bundled the ball in from close range but referee Mikael Lesage used the VAR and ruled it out because Brazil defender Marquinhos had handled.

Cavani was then brilliantly thwarted again from close range by Pichot as chances kept coming.

Mbappe, twice, and Cavani miscued again before the Uruguay striker drilled his spot-kick into the bottom corner after being upended by Pichot.

Lesage could have sent Pichot off but only showed him a yellow card and the goalkeeper tapped the referee’s hand in appreciation.

It was a quiet night for PSG goalie Kevin Trapp, who remarkably did not touch the ball until the 54th minute.

“They fought very well and played good football, too,” Trapp said. “Honestly, it was tough. We had a lot of chances and some bad luck.”

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Written by Siddhartha Pokharel This news first appeared on https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/psg-beats-valiant-minnow-les-herbiers-2-0-to-win-french-cup/ under the title “PSG beats valiant minnow Les Herbiers 2-0 to win French Cup”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.

Buttler’s 82 spurs Rajasthan to victory over Punjab in IPL

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JAIPUR: Jos Buttler smashed his third successive half-century in the Indian Premier League, overshadowing Lokesh Rahul’s unbeaten 95, as Rajasthan Royals defeated Kings XI Punjab by 15 runs on Tuesday.

Opener Buttler hit 82 off 58 balls in Rajasthan’s 158-8 after captain Ajinkya Rahane had won the toss and elected to bat.

Rahul, who anchored Punjab to victory against the same opponents with an unbeaten 84 on Sunday, didn’t get much support as his team was then restricted to 143-7.

“Really happy with the way we played. I thought 160 was good but the wicket was difficult,” Rahane said. “I was confused at the toss but I thought setting a score was important because it was do-or-die.”

With all eight teams having played 10 matches, Rajasthan moved up to sixth on eight points after winning for the fourth time. Punjab is third on 12 points.

Buttler gave Rajasthan a whirlwind start, with 63 runs coming in the first six overs, before Punjab hit back through Andrew Tye (4-34) and Afghanistan’s 17-year-old spinner Mujeebur Rahman (2-21).

Mujeebur dismissed Buttler, who was stumped by Rahul, and Sanju Samson (22).

Tye then struck three times in the last over to remove Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jaydev Unadkat.

Punjab, in reply, lost wickets at regular intervals as only opener Rahul and Marcus Stoinis (11) reached double figures.

Chris Gayle was smartly stumped by Buttler down the leg side for one and Ravichandran Ashwin was bowled after the Punjab skipper promoted himself to No. 3.

With 48 required off 12 balls, Rahul struck three consecutive boundaries off the penultimate over from Archer.

Rahul then hit Unadkat for a six and two fours in the last over but his late run blitz proved in vain.

The post Buttler’s 82 spurs Rajasthan to victory over Punjab in IPL appeared first on The Himalayan Times.

Written by Siddhartha Pokharel This news first appeared on https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/buttlers-82-spurs-rajasthan-to-victory-over-punjab-in-ipl/ under the title “Buttler’s 82 spurs Rajasthan to victory over Punjab in IPL”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.

Mark Hughes throws off shackles to leave Swansea paralysed by doom | Nick Miller

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Southampton’s manager went for the jugular with three centre-forwards and Saints are as good as safe after a wonderfully chaotic relegation showdown

It is a league of billions, of the most famous managers in the world, which prides itself on being the shiniest show in town, that moneyed owners seeking a splash of reflected glory flock to. Who knew the biggest game of the season would be between Swansea and Southampton?

It was not so much a game of football, more a 90-minute test of constitutions. The top division of English football hasn’t seen a relegation play-off match in 30 years but purely on the basis of this chaotic affair it might be an issue to reconsider. Because this was essentially a play-off, and panned out like one. The volume inside the ground was that sort of loud you get when a stadium of people are too nervous to do anything but scream unintelligibly. The atmosphere was almost unbearably tense. In the corner where the noisiest Swansea fans sang, a steward tried to get them to sit down. He didn’t keep trying for long.

Continue reading…
Written by Nick Miller at the Liberty Stadium This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/may/08/mark-hughes-swansea-paralysed-doom-southampton under the title “Mark Hughes throws off shackles to leave Swansea paralysed by doom | Nick Miller”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.

Shaquille O’Neal drops ‘Google me, Chuck’ on Barkley during heated talk

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The original discussion was about whether Raptors coach Dwane Casey needs to fix his relationship with DeMar DeRozan. It ended with another reminder by Shaq that Chuck has zero championships.

Written by This news first appeared on http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/news/nba-playoffs-2018-shaq-chuck-inside-the-nba-tnt-google-me-chuck-derozan-casey/sqo0couemprd157uw2h83kdmb under the title “
Shaquille O’Neal drops ‘Google me, Chuck’ on Barkley during heated talk
“. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.

KFC Nepal offer

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KATHMANDU: KFC has launched its special Wednesday offer in Nepal.

With a value proposition of 10 pieces of hot and crispy chicken for only Rs 990, KFC just made mid-week Wednesdays finger lickin’ good, as per a press release.

The post KFC Nepal offer appeared first on The Himalayan Times.

Written by Nikki Hamal This news first appeared on https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/kfc-nepal-offer/ under the title “KFC Nepal offer”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.

Daraz Group joins Alibaba ecosystem

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KATHMANDU: Daraz Group, a leading e-commerce company in Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, has announced that the company was fully acquired by Alibaba to become a member of Alibaba Group, as per a media release.

With the acquisition, Daraz will be able to leverage Alibaba’s leadership and experience in technology, online commerce and operation to drive further growth in the five South Asian markets that have a combined population of over 460 million, 60 per cent of which are under the age of 35.

Daraz was founded in 2012 and has since grown into the most popular online marketplace in the countries it operates. Daraz will continue to operate under the same brand.

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Written by Nikki Hamal This news first appeared on https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/daraz-group-joins-alibaba-ecosystem/ under the title “Daraz Group joins Alibaba ecosystem”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.

Coke anniversary

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KATHMANDU: On Tuesday, Coca-Cola celebrated its 132nd anniversary.

The history of the world’s favourite drink — Coca-Cola — began on May 8, 1886, when the curiosity of a pharmacist in Atlanta, Dr John S Pemberton, led him to create a distinctive tasting soft drink.

The super drink that conquered the hearts of millions worldwide has been refreshing people across the globe since its first production. Coca-Cola was introduced in Nepal in 1979 and has two plants in the country in Balaju and Bharatpur. For Coca-Cola in Nepal, sustainability is at the heart of the business.

The system in Nepal is also committed to creating lasting positive impact on communities they proudly serve, actively leveraging partnerships with communities, government agencies and non-profits, through a ‘golden triangle’ approach for partnerships.

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Written by Nikki Hamal This news first appeared on https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/coke-anniversary/ under the title “Coke anniversary”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.

Captur pre-booking

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KATHMANDU: Renault Captur, the longest and widest in its class, is coming soon to Nepal.

Renault vehicle’s authorised importer and distributor for Nepal, Advanced Automobiles (a part of Vishal Group) has started taking pre-booking of Renault Captur.

The stunning design of the new game-changer Renault Captur perfectly embodies Renault’s new global design language, with exclusive fashion-inspired dual tone body colours, as per a press statement. Renault Captur is loaded with premium features — innovative lighting systems (ILS), ergo design, leather seats and one integration concept.

The premium SUV comes with projector headlamps, C-shaped sapphire LED DRLs, fully automatic temperature control with rear cooling vents, integrated audio system with USB and Aux-in and Bluetooth, steering wheel controls, pushbutton start with remote central locking, dual airbags. It will be available in two engine options — legendary K9K 1.5L diesel engine (110 PS power, 240 Nm torque) and the responsive H4K 1.5L petrol engine (106 PS power, 142 Nm torque).

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Written by Nikki Hamal This news first appeared on https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/captur-pre-booking/ under the title “Captur pre-booking”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.

Govt to rejuvenate past agreements with China

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Kathmandu, May 8

The government has initiated a follow-up of past agreements with China signed by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, when he had become the prime minister for the first time.

Oli, during his visit to China as the prime minister in March 2016, had signed Transit and Transport Agreement, MoU on launching joint feasibility study on free trade agreement (FTA) with the northern neighbour and agreement on building oil storage facilities in Nepal under Chinese assistance.

After taking charge as prime minister for the second time, Oli seems to be in a rush to conclude the agreements signed in the past.

During the recent visit of Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali to China, there had been follow-up meetings with Chinese authorities on the aforementioned agreements. These agreements had been stalled after the Oli government had been toppled.

Following the visit of foreign minister to China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) recently wrote to the concerned ministry — the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies — to give momentum to these agreements.

The MoFA has been asked to give a final shape to the draft protocol of the Transit and Transport Agreement within a month through dialogue with Chinese authorities. For this purpose, MoFA has proposed a team led by the joint secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS) and comprising members from Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport; Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs; and Ministry of Home Affairs.

Likewise, to conclude the study on feasibility of FTA with China, a committee led by the secretary or joint secretary at the MoICS, and comprising members from Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs; and private sector representatives has been proposed. The committee has been asked to prepare a report on national interest and share the findings with the northern neighbour.

Similarly, on MoU on Investment and Production Capacity, Nepal side will give its consent to Chinese side, as per MoFA.

For another critical pact on building oil storage facilities, MoICS has been asked to conclude land acquisition within one month and inform the Chinese authorities about it.

Khaireni of Tanahu, Battar of Nuwakot, and Panchkhal of Kavre have been proposed as the potential locations to develop the fuel storage facilities.

The post Govt to rejuvenate past agreements with China appeared first on The Himalayan Times.

Written by Nikki Hamal This news first appeared on https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/govt-to-rejuvenate-past-agreements-with-china/ under the title “Govt to rejuvenate past agreements with China”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.

Church Boys advance

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PHIDIM: Church Boys Club of Kathmandu defeated Ekata Youth Club of Morang 4-1 and advanced to the final of the Kummayak-Kusayak Gold Cup Football Tournament on Tuesday.

Niraj Basnet scored a hat-trick and Bhuwan Basnet netted a goal for Church Boys, while Saujan Yakkha pulled one back for Ekata.

Niraj scored in the 18th, 62nd and 72nd minutes, while Bhuwan added one in 38th minute. Yakkha scored the consolation goal for Ekata in the 54th minute. Church Boys will face Sundhara Club in Wednesday’s final. — HNS

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Written by Nikki Hamal This news first appeared on https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/church-boys-advance-2/ under the title “Church Boys advance”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.