Nepal Falls to Bangladesh, Fails to Reach Final in SAFF Women’s Championship

Nepal was defeated 2-1 by Bangladesh in the first semi-final of the SAFF Women’s Championship held in Goa, India, resulting in their exit from the tournament. Geeta Rana scored for Nepal in the 22nd minute, but Bangladesh equalized and then took the lead with goals during injury time in both halves, securing victory. Nepal’s ambition to win the SAFF Women’s Championship title remains unfulfilled as they have now lost to Bangladesh in three consecutive editions.

The match took place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa, where Nepal initially took the lead but could not maintain it, leading to their elimination at the semi-final stage. This marked Nepal’s second defeat in the SAFF Women’s Championship semi-finals, and their third consecutive loss against Bangladesh in the last three editions. Geeta Rana opened scoring for Nepal in the 22nd minute, but Bangladesh responded with an equalizer before halftime.

Ritu Pvarna Chakma scored from a corner during first-half injury time to level the match at 1-1. With the game tied, Bangladesh netted the winning goal during second-half injury time. Sagorika converted a cross from Samsuna to secure Bangladesh’s victory. Over the past five years, Nepal has been unable to defeat Bangladesh. Nepal, aiming to clinch the SAFF Women’s Championship title for the first time, once again fell short after being eliminated in the semi-finals.