Nepal and Myanmar have secured their places in the final of the International Women’s Football Tournament even before the last round of group-stage matches.
Nepal defeated Lebanon 1-0 on Thursday at Dasharatha Stadium, confirming a final matchup against Myanmar. Both teams have won their first two matches, earning six points each, but Myanmar leads on goal difference after a 5-0 win over Kyrgyzstan earlier that day.
Lebanon and Kyrgyzstan Out
With two consecutive losses, Lebanon and Kyrgyzstan are eliminated from the tournament.
Nepal’s win came from a crucial first-half goal. In the 42nd minute, Sabitra Bhandari’s shot deflected off Lebanese defender Farah and found the net. Both teams had more chances but failed to convert.
Missed Chances
In the 10th minute, Lebanon’s Christy Maalouf forced a save from Nepal’s goalkeeper Anjila Subba. A minute later, Bimala Chaudhary’s shot went over the bar. In the 13th minute, Layla Iskandar missed a great chance despite beating the goalkeeper twice. Preeti Rai’s shot in the 15th minute also went just over.
Rekha Paudel missed a header from Sabita Rana Magar’s cross in the 17th minute. Samba’s shot soon after was off target. In the 26th minute, Bimala’s weak header was cleared, and Rekha failed to connect with the rebound. Moments later, another attempt from Samba missed the goal.
Lebanon had another opportunity in the 31st minute, but Layla Iskandar failed to finish a perfect through pass. In the 37th minute, Christy Maalouf’s shot hit the side netting.
In the second half, Sabitra Bhandari’s shot from Samba’s pass went over the bar in the 59th minute. Another attempt from Sabitra in the 86th minute also missed. Lebanon nearly equalized in injury time, but Zahwa Arabi’s shot struck the crossbar.
Upcoming Matches
The last group-stage matches—Nepal vs. Myanmar and Lebanon vs. Kyrgyzstan—will now be formalities. The final between Nepal and Myanmar is set for Wednesday.
