Chandra Bhandari scored five goals as Tribhuvan Army Club trounced Waling Municipality 6-1 to set up Qualifier 1 clash against defending champions Armed Police Force Club in the ANFA Women’s League at the ANFA Complex in Satdobato, Lalitpur on Sunday.

The victory lifted Army to 16 points from seven matches, ensuring them at least a top-two spot in the five-team Super League standings.

The outcome also eliminated Waling from the league, sending fourth-placed Bagmati Youth Club to the playoffs.

AFP have already sealed their place in the Qualifier 1 with two games remaining.

Army and APF will clash in the last match of Super League on Wednesday before the two sides meet again in a mouthwatering Qualifier 1 on January 25. The winners of Qualifier 1 will advance directly to the championship match, set for January 29.

Police, assured of a third-place finish, will face Bagmati in the Eliminator on January 24.

Police will wrap up their Super League with a match against APF on Monday.

Waling, who remain winless, will now look to end their league campaign with a consolation victory when they take on Bagmati in their last league game on Tuesday.

Army entered Sunday’s match as heavy favourites against Waling and needing a win to secure their Qualifier 1 spot.

Chandra Bhandari opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Bimala BK’s incisive through-ball allowed her to beat the offside track and comfortably fire past Waling goalkeeper Radhika Oli.

Waling briefly stunned Army with a surprise equaliser three minutes later through a counter attack in perhaps their only and best moment of the Super League.

Mina Deuba latched onto a defence-splitting pass from Sajana Rana, showed her deft footwork to maneuver past Army defender Susmita Chaudhary just inside the box and composedly slotted past Army goalkeeper Anjana Rana Magar.

It was Waling’s only goal of the Super League. They had conceded 42 goals prior to Sunday’s match.

But Bhandari quickly restored Army’s lead in the 24th minute pouncing on a defense mistake from Waling’s Bhabana Pariyar whose unwise effort to clear the ball from inside the six yard box allowed the Army forward to score from close range. Waling’s goalkeeper Oli had managed to get her hand on Bhandari’s shot but could not prevent the ball from going in.

Bhandari squandered a number of clean opportunities to score but returned with renewed precision after the interval as she completed her hat-trick in the 53rd minute. Bhandari caught Waling defenders catnapping and sneaked past the defenders to meet a well-timed through pass from Dipa Rai and sent a low drive past Oli to make it 3-1 for Army.

Bimala Chaudhary furthered Army’s advantage in the 63rd minute, heading in a corner from Sanju Kumal.

Bhandari then added her individual fourth goal of the game in the 68th minute converting a cross from Chaudhary and rounded off the rout in the 73rd with a flying effort from close range after Chaudhary assisted her with another cross.

The playoffs and the final will be held at the Dasharath Stadium.