In a match that saw plenty of energy but less of striking finesse, the second friendly between Nepal and Bangladesh women’s team at the Dasharath Stadium ended in a 0-0 stalemate.
The first half had an energetic atmosphere. Both the teams played attacking football from the start and frequently created notable chances. In the sixth minute, Bangladeshi striker Srimoti Sarkar failed to convert a ball missed by the Nepali goalie Anjana Rana Magar.
In the ninth minute, Saru Limbu created a remarkable chance for Nepal but her shot at goal was punched away by the Bangladesh goalie, Rupna Chakma. Limbu missed another chance at goal in the 20th minute from inside the penalty box.
Ten minutes later, Sarkar hit woodwork from just outside the penalty box.
The match witnessed the first yellow card in the 40th minute shown to Maria Manda. Nepal’s Hira Kumari Bhujel was booked in the 42nd minute for making a delay in throwing the ball.
Bangladesh displayed an improved game this time, credit largely to a well-organized defense.
Nepal made its first substitution in 21 minutes; Rashmi Kumai Ghising and Anita Basnet were replaced by Sabita Rana and Anita K.C., respectively. Likewise, Bangladesh made its first substitution in the 80th minute with Ritu Porna Chakma being replaced by Marzia.
While the first half saw lots of nerves, the second half was a different story altogether. Both teams were unable to create any notable chances. The game lost the high-octane momentum of the first half.
Speaking at the post-match conference, Bangladesh coach Gollam Robani Chottani said that he was impressed with his side’s performance. “Our girls played with high intensity for the entire 90 minutes against such a strong team like Nepal,” he said. “Our next target is Jordan, who we will play on September 19. We will try to improve our game.”
Gary Phillips, coach for Nepal, said that he was “disappointed” with Nepal’s performance today. “Maybe it was my fault because I changed the strategy this time,” he said. “It was a bit attacking today, but we couldn’t control the ball.”
Renuka Nagarkote, captain of Nepali women’s football team, said that her side failed to perform “up to the mark.”
“We were having issues with our finishing and team coordination,” said Nagarkote.
The last match between the two sides took place on Thursday at Dasharath Rangasala in which Nepal won two goals to one. Prior to today’s match, the two sides had played against each other seven times. Nepal won six of them and played to a draw on one occasion during the Olympics Qualifier first round in Myanmar in 2018.
Both the teams are preparing for the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers. Nepal has been drawn alongside the Philippines and Hong Kong in Group ‘F’ for the tournament to be played in Uzbekistan.
According to the latest FIFA rankings, Nepal Women’s Team stands at 101st position while Bangladesh has been ranked 137th. Nepal has never lost a match against Bangladesh.
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