Kathmandu, May 25: Nepal will begin their campaign in the SAFF Women’s Championship 2026 with a clash against Bhutan in the opening match today. The game will be played at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 4:45 PM NST.
Both teams will be aiming for a winning start to the tournament. Nepal have arrived in India with their sights firmly set on finally lifting the SAFF Women’s Championship title after several near misses in previous editions.
Nepal have reached the semifinals in all seven previous editions of the tournament. They have played in six finals, losing five times to India and twice to Bangladesh. The only time Nepal failed to reach the final came during the 2016 edition, which was also hosted in India. This time, the Nepali side will be determined to rewrite history and claim their maiden regional title.
However, Nepal will be without captain and star forward Sabitra Bhandari as well as winger Sabita Rana Magar, with both players sidelined due to injuries. Head coach Nabin Neupane has travelled to India with a balanced squad featuring a mix of experienced and young players.
Bhutan, meanwhile, have emerged as one of the rising sides in South Asian women’s football in recent years. Having reached the semifinals in the previous two editions, Bhutan will now be aiming to complete a hat-trick of semifinal appearances and upset some of the region’s stronger teams.
Nepal and Bhutan have faced each other five times so far, with Nepal winning four matches while one ended in a draw. Nepal last played an international friendly against Chinese Taipei in December, where they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat.
In Group A of the tournament, Nepal are placed alongside Sri Lanka and Bhutan, while Group B features India, Bangladesh, and Maldives.
In today’s other fixture, hosts India will take on Maldives later in the evening.
