Nepal has clinched a place in the SAFF Women’s Championship final in a thrilling finish, beating India 4-2 in a nail-biting penalty shootout at Dasharath Stadium in Tripureshwar. After a roller-coaster 90 minutes that left the teams deadlocked, the match reached a dramatic conclusion with penalties.

The intense battle saw 1-1 goals scored during regular play, with fans on the edge until the end. Manisha and Purushottam Srivaikar found the net in the shootout for India, but Ashataladevi and Chanu Sorokhaibam missed their marks. Ashataladevi’s attempt hit the post, while Sorokhaibam’s shot was saved by Nepal’s substitute goalkeeper, Anjana Rana Magar. Nepal demonstrated flawless accuracy under pressure, as Sabitra Bhandari, Geeta Rana, Sabita Ranamar, and Amisha Karki scored their penalties.

Both teams regularly showed their prowess, with Nepal’s star forward Sabitra Bhandari and India’s Sangita Basfore finding the back of the net. A turning point arrived in the 31st minute when India’s goalkeeper, Devi Wangkhem, blocked Bhandari’s attempt and saved Karki’s follow-up.

Nepal faced a significant setback in the 52nd minute when Rekha Paudel was sent off after receiving her second yellow card, leaving Nepal with only ten players. India capitalized on this advantage in the 72nd minute when Basfore launched a powerful strike from outside the box, giving India a temporary lead.

As India celebrated, Nepal quickly retaliated. However, Preeti Rai’s would-be equalizer was ruled out by the referee, igniting discontent among Nepali fans and causing a prolonged delay. After over an hour of tension, play resumed, and Nepal’s resilience shone through as Bhandari levelled the score shortly after, paving the way for the decisive penalty shootout.

Now set to face Bangladesh—who recently overwhelmed Bhutan 7-1 in the other semi-final—Nepal’s victory sets the stage for a highly anticipated SAFF Women’s Championship final showdown.