Bangladesh breaks Nepali hearts again at SAFF Women’s Championship

Nepal’s dream of winning the SAFF Women’s Championship title has once again remained unfulfilled. This time, the Nepali women’s team couldn’t even make it to the final. Notably, star striker Sabitra Bhandari “Samba” was not in the squad this time either. Another unfortunate coincidence is that in the 16-year history of the SAFF Women’s Championship, Nepal has failed to reach the final in both editions held in India.

Nepal was eliminated from the 8th SAFF Women’s Championship, being held in Goa, India, after losing 2–1 to defending champions Bangladesh in the semifinal.

At the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Nepal took an early lead but could not hold on. Bangladesh scored in injury time in both halves to claim a remarkable victory. Nepal repeated the same old mistake, failing to hold on in the final minutes and conceding soft goals.

Defender Geeta Rana gave Nepal the lead in the 22nd minute. However, Bangladesh equalised through a stunning goal by Ritu Porna Chakma, an Olimpico goal in first-half injury time, leaving Nepal’s captain and goalkeeper Anjila Tumbapo Subba with no chance.

In the second-half injury time, Bangladesh scored the winning goal. While two Nepali players collided and the game continued, Mst Sagorika scored the decisive goal for Bangladesh. Head coach Nabin Neupane expressed frustration with the referee for not stopping play during that moment.

Coach Neupane said Nepal was unlucky due to losing control late in the game and the game not being stopped during the injury.

“In the last five minutes of the first half, Bangladesh played at high speed and we couldn’t control those five minutes,” he says. “In the second half too, we created many chances. But at the end, that situation (the injury) happened. Our team gave 100%. But we were again unlucky.”

He added that the referee should have stopped play during the concussion incident rather than play on with an advantage call.

“That was a concussion case. The referee gave advantage based on the ball situation. But that situation was related to a player’s life. In my understanding, the game should have been stopped immediately rather than playing advantage.”

Before leaving for India, former Nepali men’s national team player Nabin Neupane said he hoped to achieve as a coach what he could not as a player—winning a SAFF title. But that goal remained out of reach.

Third consecutive loss against Bangladesh

Nepal’s women’s football team had a strong historical record against Bangladesh. From 2010 onwards, Nepal had consistently and comfortably defeated Bangladesh in SAFF Championships and South Asian Games.

However, in the last 5 years, Nepal has not been able to beat Bangladesh. In SAFF Championship knockout rounds specifically, Nepal has now lost three consecutive matches to Bangladesh. In 2022 and 2024 (both held in Kathmandu), Nepal lost to Bangladesh in the final, and in 2026, they lost again in the semifinal.

Out of 14 all-time meetings between the two sides, Nepal still leads overall, with 6 wins, 5 draws, and only 3 losses. But all three of Bangladesh’s wins have come at the most critical moments.

The last time Nepal defeated Bangladesh was in a friendly match in Kathmandu in 2021, winning 2–1. Since then, Bangladesh has improved greatly, winning the SAFF Women’s Championship title twice and now reaching the final for a potential third consecutive title.

“Samba” was sorely missed

Things had been difficult for Nepal even before the tournament began. The National Sports Council (NSC) had suspended ANFA for three months from March 2026, disrupting all football activities and delaying preparation. ANFA’s suspension was only lifted in the first week of May 2026, after a ministerial decision, but by then, much had already gone wrong.

Most importantly, Nepal’s captain and goal machine, Sabitra Bhandari “Samba”, was absent. She had been injured while playing in the Australian league and is currently in rehabilitation following knee surgery. She sent her best wishes from the sidelines, but her absence was felt deeply throughout the team.

Nepal played three matches in the tournament, winning two and losing one, scoring 4 goals and conceding 2. They kept two clean sheets. But that one defeat in the knockout stage ended their campaign.

Samba, regarded as one of the best scorers in South Asia, has scored a record 67 goals for Nepal, and the team could not cover for her absence in the finishing department.

Captain and goalkeeper Anjila Tumbapo Subba said, “We played better against Sri Lanka than Bhutan, and even better against Bangladesh. We played a winning game today, but we couldn’t convert our chances. Our team lacked the finishing touch.”

Players like Rekha Paudel, Rashmi Ghising, and Saru Limbu had opportunities against Bangladesh but failed to take them.

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