Nepal got their fifth SAFF Women’s Championship campaign to a winning start sweeping aside Bhutan 3-0 in the curtain raiser at the Shahid Rangashala in Biratnagar on Tuesday.

The result meant Nepal have put their one foot in the semi-final from the three-team Group ‘A’ that also includes Bangladesh. Nepal take on Bangladesh on Saturday. Nepal’s last four entry could be confirmed on Thursday if Bangladesh beat Bhutan in the second match of the group.

Midfielder Manjali Kumari Yonjan, forward Sabitra Bhandari and captain Niru Thapa were on target for the home team who registered their third victory over the South Asian opponents. It was, however, a slim-margin victory for Nepal who had beaten Bhutan 8-0 twice in the group stages of the same tournament in 2014 and 2016 editions.

“We did not got the score as expected. We had expected to score at least six goals against Bhutan. Although we created frequent scoring chances, we failed to make full use of them,” Nepal’s head coach Hari Khadka said at the post match conference. Khadka added that his team’s strategy of breaking a compact Bhutanese defence did not work. “We were a bit saturated in the first half due to the heat. Though the match was much better in terms of pace, we failed to get on target on many occasions,” said Khadka.

Nepal took the match under control from the onset and exerted consistent pressure against a team that had resorted defensive game and deployed a single forward. Bhutan failed to make a single attempt on goal. Nepal opened the scoring in the 13th minute. Midfielder Yonjan opened the floodgate after she quickly applied a powerful strike from close range responding to a Deepa Rai cross. It was her third international goal.

Prolific striker Bhandari made it 2-0 three minutes later as she rounded up Bhutanese defender and beat past goalie Sangita Monger after Yonjan set her up. It was the 23rd international goal for Bhandari who stands third in the list of all time highest scorers behind Anu Lama (35) and Jamuna Gurung (25). Bhandari could have netted another in the 41st minute but was denied by Monger in a one-versus-one situation. In the 44th minute, Yonjan ended up firing inches wide from the edge. Nepal came closer to scoring in the first half stoppage time only to see Monger foiling a shot from Anita Basnet who was fed by Bhandari.

Nepal’s quest for third goal was finally materialised in the 55th minute when skipper Thapa gave a finishing touch from just in front of the goalline after Bhandari headed to the captain following a pass from Basnet. Bhandari threatened Bhutan yet again in the 68th after she unleashed a scorcher from the edge at far post but custodian Monger made a long stretch diving save. She didn’t let Nepal score again preventing a close-range strike from Yonjan.

Rekha Paudel had made international debut for the Nepali team from Tuesday’s match. In another match on Wednesday, India will take on Maldives in Group ‘B’. Sri Lanka is the other team of the group.