Rashmi Kumari Ghising scored a hat-trick as defending champions Armed Police Force Club cruised to a 5-1 victory over Bagmati Youth Club in the Super League stage of the ANFA Women’s League at the ANFA Complex in Satdobato, Lalitpur on Saturday.

APF, who progressed to the second round as league winners and with an unbeaten record, are looking to win their fourth straight trophy.

And the reigning champions—boasting an star-studded lineup featuring national stars like Anita Basnet, Renuka Nagarkoti, Saru Limbu, Gita Rana, Preeti Rai, Sabita Rana Magar, Ghising, Anita KC and Nisha Thokar—demonstrated their title credentials with yet another commanding display against Bagmati.

A hat-trick against Bagmati further cemented Ghising’s position as the tournament’s top scorer, extending her tally to an impressive 21 goals. It also marked her fourth hat-trick of the competition, highlighting her ruthless image in front of goal.

Ghising had scored five past Bagmati in the first round and again looked dangerous from the start, propelling APF to a 2-0 lead within the opening 12 minutes.

Ghising opened the scoring in the 6th minute with a clinical finish from a well-timed pass by Renuka Nagarkoti and doubled APF’s lead in the 12th minute, rising to meet Anita Basnet’s pinpoint corner with a perfectly placed header.

Pushpa Khadka briefly kindled Bagmati’s hopes of comeback in the 17th minute, capitalising on a defensive lapse from Thokar to narrow the deficit.

But Rana Magar swiftly led APF to two-goal lead in the 27th, powering home a solid header off another pinpoint cross from Basnet.

KC, who came as a second half substitute, put the result beyond doubt with a deft flick on in the 59th minute, expertly finishing a setup from Rana Magar.

Ghising capped off a dominating performance in the 70th minute, completing her hat-trick with a fine finish, latching onto a perfectly calculated pass from Preeti Rai.

The defeat marked Bagmati’s second successive loss in the Super League, having previously fallen 2-0 to Tribhuvan Army Club in the opener.

Nepal Police Club on Friday continued their unbeaten streak in the competition with a thumping 5-0 victory against Waling Municipality.

APF and Police remain the only undefeated teams in the tournament.

The top five teams from the single round-robin first round are competing in the Super League, which will be played in the double round-robin format. The top four teams at the end of the Super League will qualify for the playoffs, which will be played at the Dasharath Stadium.

In the playoffs, the top two teams will vie in the Qualifier 1 for a direct berth in the final. The third- and fourth-placed teams will battle in the Eliminator. The winning team of the Eliminator will face the losing side of Qualifier 1 for the final spot in the title match on January 29.

Tribhuvan Army Club and Nepal Police Club, both considered strong contenders for the title, will clash in a highly anticipated departmental derby on Sunday.