Sri Lanka exits SAFF Championship after heavy loss to Nepal

Nepal overwhelmed Sri Lanka with a 6-0 victory in their final Group ‘B’ match of the SAFF Women’s Football Championship at Dashrath Rangasala Stadium last night.

This defeat eliminated Sri Lanka from the tournament while Nepal secured their spot in the semi-finals. The match started with Nepal dominating from the very beginning. Winger Sabita Rana scored twice, netting goals in the 8th and 12th minutes. Just a minute later, Rekha Poudel added another goal in the 13th minute, giving Nepal a commanding 4-0 lead by halftime.

After the break, Nepal continued to press forward. Amisha Karki found the back of the net just two minutes into the second half, making the score 5-0. Despite the onslaught, Sri Lanka’s Nawanjana Perera made several crucial saves, preventing further goals for a time.

In the 66th minute, Sri Lanka made two substitutions, bringing on Shanu Paskaran and Imesha Warnakulasuriya for Tharindi Welivita and another player. However, they struggled to create chances against Nepal’s strong defence.

Nepal had a staggering 10 corners, while Sri Lanka failed to earn any. As the match neared its end, Rashmi Ghising scored a stunning header in the 94th minute, sealing the match at 6-0.

With this result, Nepal advances to the semi-finals, while Sri Lanka will look to regroup and prepare for future challenges.