Group F matches of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers are set to begin in Uzbekistan from today. With the goal of qualifying for the Asian Cup, Nepal will kick off its campaign by playing against new rival Laos.
This match will be a historic moment in Nepal’s international women’s football journey. Since Nepal started playing international women’s football four decades ago, this match against Laos will mark the 100th international match for the Nepali women’s team.
In this opening and historic match of the qualifiers, Nepal’s newly appointed head coach, Patrick De Wilde, will also make his debut. Nepal aims for a positive start by defeating Laos in this match. The game will be played at the Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, starting at 6:15 PM Nepali time.
Also on the first day of the qualifier, host nation Uzbekistan will play against Sri Lanka. Uzbekistan is considered the strongest team in the group and also enjoys the home advantage. Alongside Uzbekistan, Nepal is seen as one of the contenders to top the group.
As Nepal faces Uzbekistan in the final group match, it hopes to get off to a strong start. Since only the group winner will qualify for the Women’s Asian Cup, every result will be crucial. In the case of a points tie, goal difference may also become important.
Head Coach Patrick De Wilde said during Saturday’s pre-match press conference that the Nepali team is physically and mentally ready.
“The best part about football is playing high-level international games. We are physically and mentally prepared. We will give our best,” he said.
Star forward Sabitra Bhandari ‘Samba’ also stated that every match is important and it’s crucial to play well from the very first game. Midfielder Renuka Nagarkoti expressed her excitement to play this historic match under the guidance of a new coach.
First-ever match against Laos
This will be Nepal’s first-ever match against Laos in women’s football. While the men’s teams of Nepal and Laos have faced each other, the women’s teams have never played before. Thus, both teams will be facing a new opponent.
However, in recent times, Nepal’s women’s team has played several international matches. About a month ago, Nepal played a friendly match against a strong Thai team. Compared to Nepal, Laos has played fewer matches.
Nepal’s women’s team has not secured a win in its last four matches. In the international women’s championship held in February, Nepal drew 2-2 with Myanmar in the league stage but lost 2-0 to Myanmar in the final.
Similarly, on June 2, Nepal lost 2-0 in an international friendly against Thailand. Prior to that, on May 30, Nepal also lost 1-0 to Thailand in a closed-door match.
Nepal’s last victory came in the league stage of the same international women’s championship, where it defeated Lebanon 1-0. In that same tournament, Nepal had also beaten Kyrgyzstan by the same 1-0 scoreline.
Laos, too, has not secured a win in its last four matches. In October, it lost friendly matches against Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. In the AFF Women’s Cup group stage in November, Laos lost 1-0 to Singapore and was held to a goalless draw by Timor-Leste. Laos has played only these four matches in 2024.
Compared to Laos, the Nepali women’s team has played more international matches and gained more exposure. In the FIFA rankings, Nepal is ranked 7 spots above Laos.
In the latest FIFA rankings, Nepal is in 100th position, while Laos is ranked 107th.
