KATHMANDU:- Nepal were held to a 1–1 stalemate by Bhutan in their opening fixture of the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers at Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu, on Wednesday.
Tanka Maya Gurung’s side showed marked improvement since their last encounter with Nepal at the SAFF U-20 Championship in Bangladesh, where Yam Prasad Gurung’s side had cruised to emphatic 6–1 and 8–0 victories.
This time, however, the hosts made the most of home advantage and managed to snatch a point from Nepal.
Nepal drew first blood just 40 seconds after kick-off as Sukriya Miya’s lob into the box found its way to Senu Pariyar, who side-stepped Bhutan keeper Pema Yangzom before slotting the ball home.
Bhutan, however, battled back and responded in the 18th minute. Kelden Wangmo latched onto a neat pass from Namsel Wangzom and fired past defender Simran Rai and keeper Lila Joshi to restore parity. Neither side was able to break the stalemate in the remaining periods despite Bhutan applying the pressure as both the team shared one point each.
The result dents Nepal’s hopes of progressing to the 12th edition of the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup, set to be held in Thailand in 2025.
Nepal next face Saudi Arabia on Friday. Saudi Arabian girls suffered a crushing 15–0 defeat at the hands of three-time world champions DPR Korea earlier in the day. Nepal and DPR Korea will play on Sunday.
Nepal are drawn in Group A alongside Bhutan, Saudi Arabia, and tournament favourites DPR Korea. Only the group winners and the three best runners-up across all four groups will qualify for the final tournament.