Sabitra Bhandari will not play against Bangladesh because of injury: Coach Phillips

On the pre-match press conference held in Aloft, Thamel on Wednesday, Gary Phillips, the head coach of the Nepali national women's football team, said that the 23 players announced for selection in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022 are strong.

23 players have been selected from 35 players from closed training sessions.

Sabitra Bhandari, also known as ‘Samba’ has been ruled for the game against Bangladesh on September 9 due to an injury.

 Phillips said, “The absence of (forward) Bhandari is a big loss for the team. And as everyone is wondering who will replace Bhandari’s place, it has also put mental pressure on the players. However, it is a great opportunity for a new player to show their ability.”

Coach Phillips also said that playing international football is challenging all over the world due to the Corona epidemic and the match against Bangladesh will be of great benefit for the Nepali team.

"Even though the preparations have been affected due to the coronavirus and injuries, Nepal is ready for a friendly match and selection," he said.

Meanwhile, Golam Robbani Choton, head coach of the Bangladesh women's national football team, said, “Bhandari is one of the best forward in South Asia. It is unfortunate that she is not in tomorrow's game however, our defenders will feel less pressure when she is not in the Nepali team ",

He also thanked Nepal for organizing a friendly match despite the various restrictions due to the pandemic. He said, “Players are happy to play after a long time and they are also preparing for qualification to get selected in the team,”

The game that is going to be held at Dasharath Stadium’s ticket price is Rs 200 in ordinary parafit and Rs 500 in VIP parafit.

The Nepali women's national team is preparing for the qualifying round of the 2022 AFC Asian Cup.

The team is playing in the AFC qualifiers in Uzbekistan after 10 days. Nepal is scheduled to play against the Philippines on September 18 and Hong Kong on September 21 in the qualifying round in Uzbekistan.