Departmental dominance in ANFA Women’s League

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Sept. 18: The three departmental clubs are the favourites in the ANFA Women’s League 2080. The points table as well as the gameplay suggest the same. Thus, seven other teams in the first phase of the League are fighting for the remaining two spots in the race for the Top 5.

On the other hand, the departmental clubs – APF, Nepal Police and Tribhuvan Army – are competing for the highest position among the Top 3. None of the seven other teams – Koshi, Waling, Sudurpashchim, Karnali, Chandrapur, Sankata and Bagmati Youth Club – have been able to pose a threat to those three.

And their dominance was visible on Tuesday as well when two departmental teams – APF and Army – handed bitter defeats to their opponents at ANFA Complex in Satdobato, Lalitpur.

While the defending champion defeated Sankata FC 3-0 in the first game of Round 6, Army scored five goals past Koshi in the other game of the day.

Saru Limbu opened the account for APF in the 13th minute; the score stayed 1-0 until the end of the first half. By the end of the second half, APF made it 3-0 with goals by Anita KC in the 50th minute and Sabita Rana Magar in the 64th minute.

On the other hand, Army made it 4-0 within the first half itself and could only extend the lead by one more in the second. Two goals in quick succession, 8th and 10th minutes, Bimala Chaudhary made it 2-0 for Army.

The stumbled defence of Sankata could not prevent Hima Chaudhary and Anita Lamzel in the 21st and 38th minutes respectively. It was Lamzel who scored the last goal for APF in the 60th minute.

In six matches, APF is unbeaten. It won five but played a draw against Nepal Police on September 3.

Army, on the other hand, has tasted defeat from APF on September 7 and played a draw against Police on September 14. Police played a draw against the two departmental opponents making them unbeaten as well. 

APF, Army and Police are positioned in the top three with 16, 13 and 11 points respectively. Nepal Police can climb to the second position after winning their Round 6 match against Chandrapur on September 18; this match is followed by Karnali vs Sudurpashchim.

As the trio has already faced each other, there is only a rare chance for them to get defeated or stalled in a tie by any other opponents. It is most likely for the Top 3 positions to be decided with APF on the top followed by Police and Army. 

APF has scored 19 goals in six matches and conceded only two, one against Army and the other against Waling. Army has scored the highest number of goals in the League amounting to 28, half of it, i.e. 14 goals were scored in a single match against Sudurpashchim on September 10.

Police conceded only one goal, in the 1-1 draw against Army on September 14, in five matches while scoring 15.