KATHMANDU: Nepal’s national women’s football team is set to play a high-stakes match against hosts Uzbekistan today in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers.

The match, scheduled for 9:15 PM Nepali time in Tashkent, will determine the Group F winner, with the victor earning a coveted spot in next year’s Asian Cup in Australia.

Nepal and Uzbekistan head into the clash with identical records—two wins each against Laos and Sri Lanka.

Both sides have scored heavily and maintained clean sheets in their previous matches, making tonight’s game a winner-takes-all encounter.

Nepal will be led by star striker and captain Sabitra Bhandari, who has netted seven goals in the qualifiers so far.

The team hopes to make history by qualifying for the Asian Cup through the qualifiers for the first time. Nepal’s last appearance in the tournament was in 1999.

A win will not only secure Nepal’s place in the Asian Cup but also provide a pathway to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games qualifiers.

A defeat, however, will end Nepal’s campaign across all three prestigious competitions.