KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 21
Nepal national women's team crashed out of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers after it played a goalless draw against Hong Kong at the Jar Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan today.
Nepal, who needed a win to keep the qualifying hopes alive, failed to find the back of the nets in their second and final match of the qualifiers.
Nepal - who travelled to Uzbekistan without injured Sabitra Bhandari and Punam Jhargha Magar - ended the tournament with one point after the team played first stalemate with Hong Kong in their third meeting.
Nepal had made their international debut in women's football with a match against Hong Kong in the Asian Championship in 1986. Nepal lost the debut match 1-0. The two sides met for the second time three years later in the same event and Hong Kong had registered a 3-0 victory then.
In their first match of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, Nepal faced a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Philippines despite taking an early lead.
Bimala Chaudhary had put Nepal ahead in the 10th minute before defensive blunders in the dying moments cost the match. Nepal conceded two goals in two minutes as the Philippines walked away with an unlikely victory.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 22 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
