Education and Sports Minister Sasmit Pokharel has officially sent off the Nepal women’s football team ahead of their participation in the upcoming SAFF Women’s Championship in India. Nepal is scheduled to play its first match against Bhutan on May 25, followed by the second match against Sri Lanka on May 31. The tournament features a total of six teams, with Nepal placed in Group A. The final match is set for June 6.
The Nepalese team departed on Thursday after a farewell event held at the ministry office in Singha Durbar, where Minister Pokharel expressed confidence that the team would return victorious.
The farewell ceremony was attended by Minister Pokharel’s advisors Siddhi Byanjankar and Raju Singh, National Sports Council Member Secretary Ram Charitra Mehta, and All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) President Prakash Bikram Nembang among others. Under the auspices of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF), the championship begins on May 25, with Nepal’s opening match against Bhutan.
Nepal will face Sri Lanka in their second group match on May 31. Group A consists of Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan, while Group B includes host India, Bangladesh, and Maldives. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals. ANFA has already announced the 23-member Nepal squad, led by goalkeeper and captain Anjila Tumbapo Subba.
The 23-member squad comprises: Goalkeepers – Anjila Tumbapo Subba (Captain), Anjana Rana Magar, Usha Nath; Defenders – Pooja Rana, Geeta Rana, Bimala Bik, Hira Kumari Bhujel, Pratiksha Chaudhary, Samiksha Ghimire, Nisha Thokar, Sabina Chaudhary; Midfielders – Renuka Nagarkoti, Deepa Shahi, Preeti Rai, Saru Limbu, Birsana Chaudhary, Anita Basnet, Anita Lamjel, Anita KC; Forwards – Rashmi Ghising, Rekha Paudel, Purnima Rai, Meena Deuwa.
