Nepali women's football's title-less journey suffered another setback on Wednesday when the national team failed to even reach the final of the SAFF Women's Championship.

Nepal had only been stopped in the semi-finals in 2016 in the history of the competition. This time, the same situation has been repeated. Nepal lost to Bangladesh 2-1 in the last four match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Nepal continuously attacked throughout the match. Two of Nepal's shots hit the post and came back, so luck was not on Nepal's side. Then, towards the end of the match, there may be complaints about Bhutanese referee Om Choki. But having said that, Nepal could not take advantage of the opportunities it created. In this situation, coach Navin Neupane also admitted, ‘We created as many chances as we could, we had more control over the ball, but we could not score a goal.’

He claimed that Nepal’s performance was improving in the competition, but in the end, the Nepali team’s attack could not be decisive. Moreover, the Nepali team lacked the habit of winning, and the necessary fighting spirit was seen. In contrast, Bangladesh’s performance was also not satisfactory, but the two-time defending champion managed to make it to the final for the third time in a row. Bangladeshi coach Peter Butler admitted that his team had the hunger to win.

‘It can be said that nothing has been good for Bangladeshi women’s football lately. We just kept getting into controversy. But I had faith in my players, when it was needed, they played decisively. I think the Bangladeshi team has proven by entering the final even in difficult circumstances that this team has the qualities to be champions. I was also confident that this game against Nepal would be equally difficult.'

Bangladesh's comeback

Bangladesh came back from a one-goal deficit with Preeti Rai's own goal in the second half's extra time. Initially, Sagarika was credited with the goal, but it was later deemed an own goal. The goal was deflected by Preeti as the game headed into extra time. Ritu Pornachakma equalized for Bangladesh in the injury time of the first half. Nepal took the lead through Geeta Rana's goal but could not maintain it. Geeta's goal in the 23rd minute gave Nepal the lead in the game.

Deepa Shahi's corner kick was deflected by Geeta into the post. Nepal failed to take a further lead after Preeti Rai's shot hit the post in the 36th minute. Similarly, Rekha Poudel's header went off the post a short distance in the 42nd minute. Rekha's shot hit the post in the second minute of the second half. Similarly, in the 78th minute, Nepal's goalkeeper Angela Subba made an excellent save against Sagarika's powerful shot.

With this result, Bangladesh has continued to dominate Nepal in recent times. This is Nepal's third defeat to Bangladesh. Two of those losses came in the two finals of this tournament. Nepal has not been able to beat Bangladesh since 2021. Bangladesh's unbeaten run against Nepal has reached 7 games. Out of these, there have been four draws apart from three wins. Bangladesh has won its second consecutive game against Nepal for the first time since the 2024 final.

Dissatisfaction with Choki's decision

When Nepal played India in the semi-final in the last edition of the tournament, Bhutan's Om Choki was the referee. This time too, she was the one who refereed the game. Nepal will probably not only be unhappy but also complain about the decision she made before Bangladesh's second goal. Vimala Bik and Samiksha Ghimire clashed their heads before Sagarika's shot. In the process, both players were injured and fell to the ground.

Vimala was even taken to the hospital after the game. 'In that situation, I think the referee should have stopped the game.' But that didn't happen and the referee gave Bangladesh the advantage. In football, someone's life is more important than goals and wins or losses. But because of the referee's decision, Bangladesh managed to score a goal. I also don't know, why is the same referee in Nepal's important match?,' Nepal coach Neupane asked with complaint.

His conclusion was, 'Even so, this was not the main reason for our defeat. We could not reach the final, because we could not score a goal despite creating many opportunities. I think that the future of Nepali women's football is good, but it needs equally good investment. Investment is the only solution. Bangladesh had practiced in Thailand before participating in the tournament.'

Bimala needs surgery

Defender Bimala Bik, who was injured at the last minute, has needed surgery. She was taken to Victor Hospital in Goa as soon as the match ended. According to Suresh Shah, spokesperson for the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) and head of the Nepali team, the doctor there has said that surgery is necessary.