KATHMANDU, July 12: Inspired by a hat-trick from Purnima Rai, the Nepali women's team made a strong start in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U-20 Women's Championship underway in Bangladesh.
In the opening match held on Friday at the Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka, Nepal thrashed Bhutan 6-1. Purnima scored four goals, including a hat-trick, while Senu Pariyar netted two. Nepal led 3-0 in the first half.
Striker Barsha Oli played a key role in all three first-half goals. In the 9th minute, Senu gave Nepal the lead with a beautiful strike after Barsha passed the ball forward as Bhutan's goalkeeper Pema Yangzom moved out of position. Senu scored with a right-footed overhead shot from outside the penalty box, sending the ball into the top corner.
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In the 18th minute, Purnima doubled the lead. She slotted the ball into an empty net after receiving a lofted pass from Barsha on the right, beating the Bhutanese goalkeeper. Just before the break, Nepal struck again on a counterattack. Barsha outwitted two defenders before setting up Senu, who fired in her second goal. Her shot hit the crossbar and bounced in, giving Nepal a 3-0 lead at halftime.
Nepal added three more goals in the second half but also conceded one. In the 52nd minute, due to a lapse in Nepal’s defense, Bhutan capitalized on a free-kick opportunity. Defender Ganga Rokaya failed to mark Sangay Wangmo, who unleashed an overhead shot that Nepal’s goalkeeper Sujata Tamang barely saved. However, just two minutes later, Bhutan pulled one back. Simran Rai headed a long cross back, and unmarked Kelden Wangmo controlled the ball in the box before slotting it past the goalkeeper.
That goal cut Nepal’s lead to 3-1. A minute later, Senu missed a golden opportunity to complete her hat-trick in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper.
In the 63rd minute, Purnima scored her second goal of the match, taking control of a long pass from the defenders and finishing it with an individual effort to make it 4-1. Nepal added two more goals in the final seven minutes. In the 84th minute, Purnima completed her hat-trick by collecting a long pass and calmly beating the Bhutanese goalkeeper. Just four minutes later, she netted her fourth goal, taking advantage of a defensive error after Meena Deuba dribbled past two defenders and set her up for a clinical finish.
With this commanding 6-1 win over Bhutan, Nepal made a strong start to the tournament. In the earlier match, Bangladesh thrashed Sri Lanka 9-1. Notably, India is not participating in this edition. Only four teams—Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka—are taking part. The team that tops the league table after a double round-robin will be crowned champion.
Nepal will next face hosts Bangladesh on July 13, followed by matches against Sri Lanka on July 15 and 17. Nepal will play Bhutan again on July 19 and Bangladesh on July 21.
In the previous edition held in 2023, Nepal finished as runners-up. The team had beaten India in the semifinals but lost 3-0 to Bangladesh in the final. This time, Nepal is aiming to clinch the title, though the host nation’s dominant performance has shown that the road to glory will not be easy.
