Kathmandu, July 2: Nepal is set to face Sri Lanka today in their second group-stage match of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers. The match will be held in Uzbekistan and is scheduled to kick off at 6:15 PM Nepali time.
Nepal will be looking for back-to-back wins in the tournament. After a commanding 9-0 victory over Laos in their opening match, the team will aim to carry that momentum into today’s clash. To top the group and qualify for the final tournament, Nepal must win all their matches.
Nepal will face Uzbekistan in their final group match, a team considered the strongest in the group. Uzbekistan thrashed Sri Lanka 10-0 in their opening game, signaling a tough challenge ahead for Nepal.
Nepal has a perfect record against Sri Lanka, having won all eight of their previous encounters. However, Sri Lanka is aiming to break that streak and claim their first-ever win over Nepal and their first victory in the qualifiers.
One of the key talking points ahead of today’s match is the team selection by head coach Patrick De Wilde. In a surprising move during the last match, he benched first-choice goalkeeper and captain Anjila Tumbapo Subba. In her absence, forward Sabitra Bhandari led the team and became the 11th captain in the history of Nepal’s women’s team. Coach De Wilde also chose to start players like Amrita Jaishi, Pooja Rana, Preeti Rai, and Rekha Paudel from the bench, bringing them on in the second half.
To qualify for next year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia, Nepal must finish as group winners. So far, host Australia, China, South Korea, and Japan have already secured their spots in the final tournament. Eight more teams will join them, making a total of 12 teams competing in the main event.
