Bangladesh secured a place in the final of the SAFF Women’s Championship for the third consecutive time after defeating Nepal 2-1 in a tense and closely contested semi-final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa.
The victory was achieved through a determined comeback after Bangladesh fell behind in the first half. Despite struggling to find their rhythm early in the match, Peter Butler’s side recovered strongly and produced a late winning goal to keep their title ambitions alive.
Nepal began the match on the front foot, pressing aggressively and controlling much of the possession. Their attacking intent caused problems for Bangladesh, who spent large portions of the opening half defending. The Nepalese side looked more organised in attack and frequently threatened the Bangladesh penalty area.
Their positive start was rewarded in the 23rd minute when Gita Rana opened the scoring. A corner delivered by Deepa Shahi found Rana inside the box, and she guided the ball into the net to give Nepal a 1-0 lead. The goal increased the pressure on Bangladesh, whose attempts to build attacking momentum were repeatedly disrupted by Nepal’s disciplined approach.
For the remainder of the first half, Bangladesh found it difficult to establish control. Nepal continued to push forward whenever opportunities arose, while the Bangladesh defence was required to remain alert. However, the match changed dramatically in stoppage time before the interval.
Rituparna Chakma produced a moment of quality by scoring directly from a corner kick. The ball curled into the net without any further touch, resulting in an Olympic goal and bringing Bangladesh level at 1-1. The equaliser arrived at a crucial moment and shifted the momentum heading into the second half.
Nepal resumed after the break with the same attacking intent that had characterised their first-half display. Bangladesh survived a major scare when Rekha beat the goalkeeper and attempted to restore Nepal’s lead. However, her effort struck the post and bounced away, allowing Bangladesh to remain on level terms.
The contest remained evenly balanced as both teams searched for a decisive breakthrough. In the 69th minute, Nepal came close again when Saru Limbu’s curling effort narrowly missed the target. Bangladesh goalkeeper Mili then played an important role in keeping her side in the match, producing several crucial saves to deny Nepal.
Bangladesh also created opportunities as the second half progressed. One of the clearest chances arrived in the 78th minute when Sagarika received a pass from Shamsunnahar Junior and struck from close range. Nepal’s goalkeeper reacted quickly and punched the ball away, preventing Bangladesh from taking the lead.
With neither side able to find another goal during the regulation 90 minutes, the match entered six minutes of added time with the score locked at 1-1.
The decisive moment came in the closing stages of stoppage time. Bangladesh combined effectively in attack before Sagarika finished a well-worked move to score the winning goal. The strike completed a remarkable turnaround and secured a 2-1 victory for the defending champions.
The result sends Bangladesh into the final of the SAFF Women’s Championship for the third successive tournament. After overcoming an early setback and withstanding sustained pressure from Nepal, the team once again demonstrated its ability to deliver in crucial matches.
Rituparna Chakma’s equalising Olympic goal, Mili’s important saves and Sagarika’s dramatic late winner proved decisive as Bangladesh booked another appearance in the tournament’s showpiece match. Nepal’s campaign came to an end, while Bangladesh moved one step closer to another SAFF Women’s Championship title.