Nepal Crushes Sri Lanka 7-0 in SAFF U-20 Women's Championship,
Nepal produced a commanding display at the SAFF U-20 Women's Championship, decimating Sri Lanka 7-0 in their third group match, with striker Meena Deuba stealing the show with a sensational hat-trick. Despite adverse weather delaying the kickoff by 90 minutes and forcing the match to be shifted to the practice ground of the Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka, Nepal showed no signs of hesitation. Head coach Yam Prasad Gurung's rotational gamble paid off in style as Nepal outclassed their opponents across the pitch. The young Gorkhalis struck five times in the first half and added two more in the second, with contributions from Purnima Rai (2 goals), Samikshya Magar, and Sarita Nath, rounding off a near-perfect evening for the team. **Deuba Dazzles with Precision** Meena Deuwa opened the floodgates in the 8th minute, latching onto a pinpoint pass from midfielder Sushila KC. Dribbling past defender Chasila Udagedara, Deuwa unleashed a curling right-footer from outside the penalty area, rippling the top corner of the net — a statement of intent. Just five minutes later, Samikshya Magar, handed a rare start, made it 2-0 with a clinical left-footed strike after Purnima Rai drew defenders and left space for Samikshya to exploit. The Sri Lankan defence, already looking shaky, was left in tatters. Deuwa added her second in the 42nd minute, capitalising on a rebound after a powerful shot from Maya Maskey was only partially saved by Sri Lanka's keeper Tharusika. She was alert, composed, and lethal. In first-half stoppage time, Purnima Rai joined the scoring act — not once, but twice in quick succession — both goals coming from incisive through balls by Samikshya, as Rai beat the keeper one-on-one on both occasions.  **Sealing It in Style** The tempo dropped slightly after the break, but Nepal's hunger for goals didn't fade. It took until the 70th minute for Deuba to complete her hat-trick — her third of the tournament — after pouncing on a failed clearance from a Barsha Oli cutback. The final blow came in added time, when Sarita Nath marked her first start with a stunning 25-yard free-kick goal, following a foul on Deuwa. The ball soared past a static Sri Lankan wall and keeper, sealing Nepal's biggest win of the tournament. **Tactical Rotation Pays Off** Coach Gurung had opted to rest key players, including regular captain Birsana Chaudhary, attacking midfielder Senu Pariyar, and first-choice keeper Sujata Tamang. Their replacements rose to the occasion. Debut starter Samikshya Magar delivered two assists and a goal, while goalkeeper Lila Joshi kept a clean sheet. With Simran Rai suspended due to a red card, Sarita Nath filled in at centre-back and capped her performance with a wonder goal. **Standings and What's Next** With this emphatic victory, Nepal now sits on 6 points from 3 matches, trailing undefeated hosts Bangladesh, who earlier defeated Bhutan 4-1 to maintain their perfect record. Nepal will face Sri Lanka again on Thursday at 3 PM, while Bangladesh will take on Bhutan later that evening. The tournament follows a double-round-robin format, with the top team at the end of the group stage crowned the champion. Bangladesh remains the tournament's most decorated side, having lifted the title four times in its five editions. Nepal has twice reached the final, but on both occasions, it fell to the hosts. With momentum now on their side and Meena Deuwa in red-hot form, Nepal's dream of finally toppling the regional giants lives on.
