Sikkim's Thunderbolt North United reached the quarter-finals of the 24th Aha-Rara Gold Cup in Pokhara after defeating two-time champions Sankata Club 3-1. The Indian team, which is visiting Nepal for the first time at the Pokhara Stadium on Friday, sent Sankata home from the first match.

Thunderbolt's Franklin Quete Tala, Karan Rai and Adarsh ​​Tamang scored the goals. Manish Paudel returned a goal from Sankata. Sankat took the early lead in the game. Manish's goal in the 17th minute of the game led Sankat. He capitalized on Pasang Lama's cross to deliver a brilliant finish.

In the 35th minute of the match, the game was tied after Thunderbolt got a penalty. As Fofana crossed, Sankata's right-back Abhishek Lama tackled Karan Rai in the penalty area, and referee Prajwal Chhetri gave Thunderbolt a penalty. Quete Tala easily scored from the penalty spot, giving Sankata goalkeeper Deep Karki no chance. Although the first half ended in a 1-1 tie, the Thunderbolts added two more goals in the second half. The Thunderbolts set up a quarterfinal meeting with another foreign team, Black Bulls FC of Uzbekistan.

Sankata, who took the field with star players to withstand the continuous pressure of Thunderbolt, was shocked. Playing under the captaincy of Deep Karki with players like experienced Peter Segun and defender Emmanuel Boating, Sankata could not score a goal. Last year's Sikkim Premier League runners-up, Thunderbolts put Sankata under pressure from the start. In first-half injury time, Thunderbolt's Andrew's powerful shot bounced off the bar. A similar strike by Sankata was wasted in the 67th minute of the game. Sankata was unlucky when a powerful shot from the box by Sankata's Abeka Richard hit the crossbar. In the 77th minute of the

game, striker Karan Rai scored a goal to give Thunder the lead. He scored an Andrew cross from the box. Thunder's Adarsh ​​Tamang scored a great goal in the 89th minute. A shot from the middle of the field was converted into a goal. When goalkeeper Deep Karki was advancing, Adarsh ​​hit the empty post from the middle.