Nepal Registers Back-to-Back Victories, Eyes Asian Cup Spot After Crushing Sri Lanka 8-0
Milliy Stadium, Uzbekistan | July 2, 2025
The Nepali women’s national football team delivered another dazzling performance in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, defeating Sri Lanka 8-0 on Wednesday in Uzbekistan. The emphatic win follows their 9-0 demolition of Laos on Sunday, giving Nepal two consecutive victories and placing them on the brink of qualification for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia.
Nepal started strong once again, opening the scoring in just the 7th minute through defender Gita Rana, who headed home from a well-taken corner. The team dominated possession and tempo from the outset, leaving Sri Lanka struggling to contain their fast-paced and coordinated attacks. Before the first half whistle blew, Nepal had already built a 4-0 lead.
Captain and star forward Sabitra “Samba” Bhandari once again led the charge, scoring a first-half hat-trick—her second in two matches. She found the net in the 20th, 42nd, and injury time minutes, despite having a powerful free-kick controversially disallowed in the 36th. The three goals brought her international tally to 64, cementing her status as Nepal’s top scorer.
“It was a great win, all thanks to teamwork,” Samba said after the match. “But we can still play better and we’re building something here.”
Nepal’s head coach Patrick De Wilde praised the team’s performance but remained focused on improvement. “This was a good win,” he said, “but we are better than this. If the internal issues are addressed, this team has the potential to reach even higher.”
De Wilde made only one change to the starting lineup that dominated Laos, replacing Saru Limbu with Preeti Rai in midfield. The core team chemistry remained intact and proved effective once again. Goalkeeper Anjana Rana Magar had little to do, with Sri Lanka managing only a few weak efforts on goal.
In the second half, Nepal picked up where they left off. Gita Rana converted a penalty to complete her brace, while Nisha Thokar and Rekha Poudel each added goals with clinical headers in the 62nd and 78th minutes, both the result of well-practiced set-piece strategies.
The match concluded with a heartwarming moment as substitute Puja Rana netted her first-ever international goal in the dying minutes—despite Nepal being down to 10 players after Preeti Rai was taken off injured and all substitutions had been used.
“We’re adapting well to the new playing style and technical adjustments introduced by the coach,” Samba said. “These results are proof of that.”
With a total of 17 goals scored and none conceded in just two matches, Nepal now prepares for their final group match against Uzbekistan on Saturday. The encounter will decide which team advances to the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia.
“These wins give us momentum,” Samba added. “But the real battle is ahead. We’ll give it everything we’ve got.”
