Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal booked their place in the semi-finals of the SAFF Women’s Championship with a convincing 2-0 victory over Sri Lanka in their second Group A match on Friday.
Nepal took the lead deep into first-half injury time when Rashmi Kumari Ghising finished from inside the box after being set up by Rekha Paudel from the right flank.
The second goal came in the 60th minute as Renuka Nagarkoti superbly chipped the ball from around 22 yards over the advancing Sri Lankan goalkeeper.
Nepal created several other scoring opportunities throughout the match but were unable to convert them in the final third.
The victory followed Nepal’s 1-0 win over Bhutan in their opening group-stage match. The win over Sri Lanka means Nepal progressed to the knockout stage with two wins from two matches. Bhutan also advanced to the semifinal as the runners-up of Group A.
India and Bangladesh also secured semifinal berths from Group B.
Nepal will face the team that finishes second in Group B. The final group standings will be determined by the match between India and Bangladesh later on Friday. The winner of the match will top the group, while India will finish at the top of the table if the match ends in a stalemate.
The semifinal qualification keeps alive Nepal’s hopes of winning their first SAFF Women’s Championship title. Despite reaching the final a record six times, Nepal have yet to lift the trophy.
