Nepal lose 1-2 to Bangladesh in SAFF Women’s Football Championship 2024

The Bangladesh Women’s National Team won their second SAFF Women’s Championship tournament as Ritu Porna Chakma scored the winning goal in the 81 minute of the game with the team taking the lead of the game for the second time. Chakma celebrated a crowd-silencing gesture at the fully-packed Dashrath Stadium, Kathmandu.

The Nepal Women’s National Team has not been able to win the title of SAFF women’s championship so far. Along with this loss, Nepal has ended up as the runner-up of the championship for six times, with the women’s team losing four times to India and twice to Bangladesh in the finals in the past.

Both Nepal and Bangladesh reached the SAFF finals by remaining undefeated. Nepal defeated India and Bangladesh to reached to final by defeating Bhutan in the semi-finals.

A goalless first half of the game was followed by a quick start from the defending champion Bangladeshi team which took the lead for the first time in the second half with a goal seven minutes in from the restart, as Monika Chakma scored in the 52nd minute of the game after a mispass by Nepali midfielder Sabita Rana Magar.

Nepal levelled the game four minutes in as a long through ball from Preeti Rai was converted by forward Amisha Karki with a shot from within the penalty area at the center of the post. The Nepali team made two changes at the start of the first half as Puja Rana and Saru Limbu replaced the duo of Samiksha Ghimire and Rashmi Kumari Ghising.

The much talked Nepali player Sabitra Bahndari aka Samba could not contribute any goal in the final game with Bangladesh.

Nepal played a goalless draw with Bhutan in the group stage match and defeated the Maldives by 11-0 in the second match as Rekha Poudel scored four goals and Preeti Thulung Rai scored a hattrick. Similarly, Nepal defeated Sri Lanka 6-0 which featured a brace from Rekha Poudel.