The women’s national football team of Nepal is one match away from the championship round of the AFC Asian Cup taking place in Australia.
Team Nepal bulldozed both Laos and Sri Lanka in totally one -sided matches. They were runaway victors without having to shed sweat. They outplayed,overpowered, outmaneuvered and dominated the relatively weak opponents who hardly offered any resistance from start to end.
It was raining goals at the Bunyodkor stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan as the winners effortlessly found the net,time and time again, making short work of the opponents.It was tantamount to target practice for them In the opener, Nepal toyed with Laos to pump in nine unanswered goals. They performed aggressively, dominantly and controlled the proceedings to overwhelm the opposition throughout the match.
Laos appeared weak and submissive in the match.They were unable to respond to the opponent’s attacking brand of football and badly fell behind in every department of the game.They were on their back foot in the entire ninety -plus minutes of action.As a result, they ended up conceding nine goals. In the second match against Sri Lanka, Nepal showed no signs of slowing down and continued with their aggressive and attacking style of play. The Sri Lankan outfit appeared weak and below-par.They failed to display competitiveness,fight back ability and meekly surrendered.
For the second straight match, it was a cakewalk for Nepal as they overwhelmed the opposition, bringing them down to their knees. They made mincemeat of them by exploiting their weaknesses and scoring eight goals. The highlight of Nepal’s massive wins was ace striker Sabitra Bhandari’s impressive hat trick in both matches. She stood out,showcasing her goal scoring ability,which made a significant difference.
Nepal’s decisive and final clash is against the hosts Uzbekistan on Saturday. It is a dead heat between the two sides.They are tied on points and goal difference. The winner of the high-stakes game advances to the championship round in Australia. They have to realize that this is a great opportunity for them to make history. It is all about seizing the chance by making the most out of it. In order to make it happen they must muster a match winning collective effort to pull it off.
The players need to turn in a solid performance and play their part in the concerted effort to deliver the result. They have to believe in themselves,rise to the challenge, stay hundred percent committed to their goal and play at their full potential. They must strengthen and sharpen the tactical,technical, physical and psychological aspects of the game.
In a crucial match like this there is virtually no room for complacency, mediocrity and insipidness.They have to bring in their A-game and enhance the overall team performance.The key to success is executing the game plan with utmost precision.
By Sushil Thapa, Fairfax, VA, USA
