Nepal women’s football team delivered an impressive 9-0 victory over Laos in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualification, led by captain Sabitra Bhandari, who scored five goals.
Nepal took an early lead in the match. In the 12th minute, Anita Basnet scored following a header from Sabitra after a cross by Sita Rana Magar. Nepal doubled their advantage in the 44th minute with another header from Sabitra, assisted by a precise cross from Anita Basnet.
Early in the second half, Nepal scored their third goal. After a pass from Renuka Nagarkote, Saru Limbu scored her 50th international goal. Sabitra scored again in the 55th minute, finishing one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Shortly after, Rashmi Ghising added another goal, extending Nepal’s lead to 5-0.
Coach Patrick made substitutions, bringing in Preeti Rai, Puja Rana, and Anita KC to replace Saru, Anita Basnet, and Rashmi Ghising. Later, Rekha Poudel and Bimala BK came on for Renuka Nagarkote and Samiksha Ghimire.
Sabitra completed her hat-trick in the 75th minute and scored again a minute later. Substitute Anita KC also scored in the 83rd minute. In the 88th minute, a deflected shot from Sabitra resulted in her sixth goal of the match and 62nd international goal overall in her 59th appearance.
This memorable win marked a strong start for Nepal in Group F of the qualifiers, which also features Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka. It was a special match for captain Sabitra and coach Patrick, who made a successful debut.
