Kathmandu, Feb 23: Nepal held Myanmar to a 2-2 draw on Sunday, securing a spot in the final of the International Women’s Championship with high confidence.
Both Nepal and Myanmar had already advanced to the final of the four-nation tournament before this match. In the last league game at Dasharath Stadium, Nepal made a strong comeback twice to hold the higher-ranked Myanmar team to a draw. With this result, Nepal will face Myanmar again in the title clash.
Despite trailing twice in the game, Nepal showed resilience and secured a 2-2 draw. This marks the second time Nepal has held Myanmar to a draw, with the previous encounter being a 1-1 result in the 2018 Olympic Asian Qualifiers. However, in 2019, Nepal suffered defeats against Myanmar in the Hero Cup, losing 3-0 in the league stage and 3-1 in the final.
With this draw, both Nepal and Myanmar finished the league stage with seven points each. However, Myanmar topped the standings based on goal difference, with Nepal finishing as runners-up. Both teams had previously defeated Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon.
For Nepal, Sabita Rana Magar and Sabitra Bhandari found the net, while Myanmar’s goals came from Myat Khine and May Htet Lu.
Myanmar took the lead in the 6th minute through Myat Khine’s free-kick, which bounced off the crossbar and into the net, leaving Nepal’s goalkeeper Anjana Rana Magar helpless. However, Nepal responded quickly, equalizing five minutes later as Sabita scored off a cross from Sabitra Bhandari with a first-touch strike.
Myanmar regained the lead in the 17th minute when defender Geeta Rana failed to clear a ball, allowing May Htet Lu to score a brilliant goal. But Nepal fought back again, leveling the score in the 40th minute through Sabitra Bhandari, who capitalized on a pass from Preeti Rai.
The second half saw both teams pushing for a winning goal, but neither side could break the deadlock, ending the match in a 2-2 draw.
Nepal and Myanmar will now face off in the championship final on Wednesday. #nepal #footfall
