By Sachit Subba • Football • Aug 27, 2025 16:04 PM • 137 views
Thimphu, Bhutan — Nepal's campaign in the ongoing SAFF U-17 Women's Championship came to a crashing halt on Wednesday as they slumped to a 4-1 defeat against Bangladesh in their second-leg clash at the Changlimithang Stadium. Having already fallen 3-0 in the first meeting, the young Nepali side failed to bounce back, conceding their second consecutive loss to the defending champions. With the result, Nepal's hopes of lifting the regional crown were officially extinguished. Bangladesh, spearheaded by the brilliant Sauravi Akhanda Preeti, climbed to second place in the standings with nine points from four matches. Nepal, meanwhile, sit third with just three points from the same number of games. The match saw Bangladesh take the lead in the 38th minute through Thunuwe Marma before Preeti doubled the advantage in the 44th minute. Just before the halftime whistle, Nepal found a lifeline as skipper Bhumika Budhathoki struck to make it 2-1. However, Bangladesh tightened their grip in the second half. Preeti netted her second in the 71st minute, stretching the scoreline to 3-1, before completing a memorable hat-trick in the 86th minute to seal the emphatic win. While Nepal displayed flashes of resilience, particularly through Budhathoki's leadership, the gulf in quality and finishing power proved decisive. Bangladesh's clinical edge leaves them firmly in contention for the title, while Nepal must now regroup and focus on salvaging pride in the remaining fixtures.
