Nepali women's football team facing challenges in Dhaka

Even in COVID pandemic Nepali sports activities have been found to continue whereas football-related activities are on the rise. Martyrs' Memorial League football is currently being played in Kathmandu. Even in the dead of winter, fans visit Dashrath Stadium to watch football under floodlights at night.

Currently, the Nepalese national women's football team is in Bangladesh. The Nepalese team is competing in the SAFF Under-19 Championship, which begins on December 11 in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital.

The final SAFF U-19 Women's Championship team has already been announced.

Hari Om Shrestha, the head coach, has announced his final roster for the competition, which will take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from December 11 to 22.

The final squad consists of 23 players, including three goalkeepers. Six national teams are represented on the announced team. Last July, the six players made their national team debuts against Bangladesh and in the AFC Women's Asian Qualifiers.

The majority of the players on the Nepali women's football team come from departmental teams. Players from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police have succeeded in giving the national side a distinct identity. Dhaka will host the single round robin fair.

The competition will feature organizers Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and India, as well as Nepal. On the 11th of December, Nepal will meet host Bangladesh in its first match of the competition.

Nepal began playing women's football in 2039 BC. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Nepali women's team competed in World Cup qualifiers. In South Asia, the Nepali women's football team is rated second. The Nepali women's team has lost to the Indian team in the majority of competitions.

Nepal finished second in the previous SAFF Championship after losing in the final to India. The 2019 SAFF Women's Championship was held in Biratnagar for the fifth time. The competition included six SAARC countries. India won the women's championship by defeating Team Nepal 3-1 in the final match.

Nepal's national women's football team defeated India by two goals to one in a football event held in Orissa, India.

In that encounter, Savitra Bhandari scored both goals for Nepal. Shabitra is now recuperating from knee surgery. She has already competed in professional games in different countries.

Last August, Nepal took the lead in a friendly football match between Nepal and Bangladesh, which was hosted in Kathmandu. Savita Rana and Priti Rai both made their national team debuts and scored a goal in that competition.

The national women's football team competed in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022 qualifying tournament in Uzbekistan this year. Nepal was then eliminated from the group stage of the competition. Nepal and Hong Kong played to a scoreless tie. Nepal finished last with one point from two games. Nepal was defeated 2-1 by the Philippines in the first encounter.

On December 19, Nepal will face its longtime nemesis India. The performance of the Nepalese women's team in Dhaka this time will most likely be determined by the potential and development of women's football in Nepal.