KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 12
Nepal marched into the SAFF Women's Championship semi-finals as the top team from Group B here at the Dasharath Stadium today.
Nepal hammered Sri Lanka 6-0 in the second and final match of the group to register their second straight victory.
Substitute Amisha Karki scored a brace, while Rashmi Kumari Ghising, Saru Limbu, Anita Jaisi and Dipa Shahi netted one each as the home team finished at the top of the table with six points.
Bhutan, who defeated Sri Lanka 5-0, had already advanced to the last four and the day's result meant they finished runners-up in the group with three points. Sri Lanka lost both matches in the three-team pool.
Nepal took a 3-0 lead inside the first 20 minutes to effectively oust Sri Lanka from the race to semi-finals. The hosts opened the scoring in the ninth minute when player-of-thematch Rashmi Kumari Ghising headed home from close range following a cross from Hira Kumari Bhujel.
Nepal doubled the tally two minutes later. Anita Jaisi unleashed a sublime cross from the right and Saru Limbu rose to beat the opponents to head home from inside the box. Jaisi then scored the third goal six minutes later, also through header, on corner kick from Anita Basnet.
Sri Lanka created their first move in the 40th minute but KKM Nawanjana Perera failed to beat Nepal skipper and goalkeeper Anjila Tumbapo Subba in one-on-one situation. Sri Lanka goalkeeper RGL Yohani Weerasinghe made a brilliant save to stop Rashmi Kumari Ghising's superb header on a cross from Anita Basnet in the 45th minute.
Nepal made it 4-0 moments before the first half when Dipa Shahi netted her first international goal on her own rebound after Sri Lanka keeper Weerasinghe blocked her initial strike on a corner kick from Anita Basnet.
Substitute Amisha Karki scored her first international goal in the 76th minute after she capitalised on a poor defending from Sri Lanka and lobbed over the advancing goalkeeper Weerasinghe to make it 5-0 for the home side. She had replaced Rekha Poudel in the 55th minute.
Amisha Karki netted her second goal of the match in the injury time with a solo effort. In the 54th minute, Rekha Poudel failed to control the ball sent in by Anita Basnet, while Poudel muffed up another chance two minutes later.
Nepal were forced to make two changes in the team that defeated Bhutan in the opening match. Star striker Sabitra Bhandari was diagnosed with dengue, while Amisha Karki started from the bench.
Rashmi Kumari Ghising and Rekha Poudel were included in the starting line-up. Bhandari became the second Nepali player and third team member to be sidelined with dengue after Manjali Yonjan, who is undergoing treatment at MediCiti hospital, and goalkeeper coach Sujan Moktan.
Nepal will now face Group A runners-up for a place in the final, while Bhutan will play against Group A winners. India and Bangladesh have already advanced to semi-finals with two wins each and they will face each other on Tuesday to decide the group winners and runners-up. Maldives and Pakistan crashed out from Group A.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 13, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
