Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepali women’s national team captain and goalkeeper Anjila Tumbapo Subba has expressed confidence in securing the title of the International Women’s Championship on home soil. Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Sunday, she said the tournament offers a great opportunity for Nepal to end its title drought.
“Our preparation has been good, and the team’s coordination is strong. We will take to the field aiming to win the title by minimizing mistakes,” Subba said. “If we can perform according to the coach’s plan, it won’t be difficult to win the title.”
National teams from the Kyrgyz Republic, Lebanon, and Myanmar have already arrived in Kathmandu for the tournament, which kicks off at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Monday. Nepal will meet the Kyrgyz Republic in the inaugural match of the tournament on Monday, followed by matches against Lebanon on February 20 and Myanmar on February 23.
Head coach Rajendra Tamang told reporters that all preparations for the tournament have been completed. “Anjila and Rekha Paudel have arrived from abroad. Sabitra Bhandari will arrive by tomorrow morning. Now we are preparing for tomorrow’s match,” Tamang said.
Anjila plays for the Greek A Division club Nees Atromitou, while Rekha plays for Abu Dhabi Country Club of the UAE Women’s Football League. Sabitra, on the other hand, plays for French Première Ligue club En Avant Guingamp.
In terms of FIFA rankings, Myanmar (55th) is ranked above Nepal (103rd), while the Kyrgyz Republic (128th) and Lebanon (134th) are below Nepal. Nepal recently defeated Lebanon 2-1 in the 2024 WAFF Women’s Championship. In head-to-head matches against Myanmar, Nepal has drawn once and lost three times. Nepal’s last encounter with the Kyrgyz Republic resulted in an 8-2 victory in the 2019 Najda Cup.
