Uzbekistan made a blistering start to the match, taking the lead in just the 2nd minute. Diyorakhan was left unmarked inside the box and made no mistake, slamming the ball home past the Nepali defense. It was a shaky start from Nepal, who looked overwhelmed by the home side’s speed and stamina.

Nepal’s first attacking move came in the 16th minute when Samba drove forward and found Sabita with a pass, but her shot went straight into the hands of the Uzbek goalkeeper.

By the 20th minute, Nepal began to grow into the game, stringing passes together, though they lacked the confidence to push into the final third. A free kick in the 22nd minute by Renuka was not effective.

Then came a breakthrough. In the 24th minute, Sabitra Bhandari showed her class with a cheeky finish to bring Nepal back into the game. The goal lifted Nepal’s spirits, and by the 28th minute, they were beginning to put real pressure on the hosts.

Nepal made their first change in the 29th minute, with Nisha Thokar making way for Preeti Rai. The momentum continued as Nepal looked far more composed and eager for an equalizer by the 35th minute.

However, a critical blow came in the 39th minute when Saaswoti Hamal was penalized for a handball inside the box. Uzbekistan converted the spot kick to make it 3-1. The third goal came just as Nepal looked to be finding their rhythm, and defensive lapses again proved costly.

Sabitra had a chance to reduce the deficit from a free kick in first-half injury time (45+2'), but her effort was safely collected by the keeper.

Just before the break, in the 45+3rd minute, Uzbekistan were reduced to 10 players, offering Nepal a potential lifeline heading into the second half.