Rana’s Deflected Strike Earns Injury-Hit Nepal Hard-Fought Win Over Bhutan
GOA, INDIA — Nepal began their SAFF Women’s Championship with a hard-fought 1-0 win over resilient Bhutan on Monday, earning three points in their opener at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. A 23rd-minute strike decided a tense regional encounter. Nepal’s Gita Rana unleashed a powerful shot from inside the box. The ball deflected off a Bhutanese defender and into the net. Though officially an own goal, it gave Nepal the breakthrough needed to breach Bhutan’s disciplined defence. **Overcoming Key Absences** The narrow victory is a massive statement of intent for the Chelis, who entered the tournament severely depleted. The head coach faced selection dilemmas as injuries sidelined star forwards Sabitra “Samba” Bhandari and Sabita Rana Magar. Meanwhile, midfielder Preeti Rai has not joined the squad in Goa yet, delayed by club commitments in Cambodia. Despite missing their primary attacking catalysts, Nepal showed tactical maturity. Additionally, the match marked a historic milestone for Anita Lamjel, who made her senior international debut by stepping directly into the high-intensity atmosphere of a South Asian derby.  **Missed Opportunities and Redeeming Narratives** Nepal had a golden opportunity to double its advantage in the 37th minute. Rekha Poudel found herself in a prime scoring position, but her clinical strike agonisingly rattled against the second bar and deflected wide. This victory carries immense psychological weight for Nepal. In their previous SAFF Championship meeting on home soil in Kathmandu, Bhutan frustrated the hosts with a gruelling goalless draw. Scraping through with a win in Goa, Nepal, not only in their previous SAFF Championship meeting on home soil in Kathmandu, but Bhutan also frustrated the hosts with a gruelling goalless draw.
