Nepal make winning start at SAFF Championship

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Sept 7 : Sabita Bhandari and Anita Basnet scored two goals each as Nepal thrashed Bhutan 4-0 in a one-sided affair and made a winning start at the 6th South Asian Women’s Championship at Dasarath Stadium in Kathmandu on Tuesday.

After securing three points, Coach Kumar Thapa said he was happy to win the opener. "Rain disturbed the first half but my girls enjoyed the second half after the 

the rain stopped."

"My players played as per plan and tried to utilize all the substitutes today."

Heavy rainfall in the first half made the players struggle to control the ball. However, Bhutan went closer to goal early in the third minute but missed 

the post.

Sabita's long ranger in the 8th minute went wayward from the first bar. 

The powerful strike off Hira Kumari Bhujel from outside of the box hit the woodwork in the 11th minute.

But Nepal’s goal machine Sabitra found the goal in the 12th minute. She took advantage of out-of-position Bhutani Goalie Sangita Monger and sent the deflected ball off debutant Amisha Karki into the post from the 

right flank.

Sabita scored in all of her four games against Bhutan. This was her ninth goal against Bhutan in the SAFF.

Sabita could have doubled the advantage in the 32nd minute after her shot to the slipped ball from goalie Monger was cleared by the Bhutani defender.

A moment later, Sabitra’s header to Basnet’s cross went wide.

Nepal survived a scare from Bhutan in the 35th minute after Captain Pema Choden Tshering wasted the chance from the penalty box.

Nepal doubled the advantage in the 68th minute after a through ball from substitute Rekha was finished with ease by Sabitra in a one-to-one with adversary goalie Monger.

Five minutes later, Nepal trebled the score with Basnet’s 25-yard distance power shot kissing the Bhutani post giving no clue to Monger.  

Basnet scored her second in the 85th minute to kill the match for Nepal at 4-0. Bhutani custodian Monger punched away the cross off Anita KC to which Basnet took control and slotted 

into the post.

Nepal had faced Bhutan three times in the championship earlier. Nepal had thrashed Bhutan in all three 

matches.

Midfielder Dipa Shahi, Forward Amisha Karki, and Defender Samiksha Ghimire made their debut in the women’s senior national team today. All three have played for the U19 women’s national team earlier. Shahi and Karki both play from Tribhuvan Army Club while Ghimire plays from Nepal Police Club in the women’s league.

Coach Kumar Thapa included Shahi and Karki in the first eleven. Kari was replaced by Rekha Paudel in the fifty-one minute.

Ghimire replaced Hira Kumari Bhujel in the 73rd minute to don Nepal’s jersey for the first time.