India Women’s team started their campaign on a winning note in the SAFF Women’s Championship by beating Pakistan 3-0 at the Dasarath Stadium in Kathmandu on Wednesday.
The Blue Tigresses were dominant from the beginning. India took a lead in the 21st minute after an own goal from Pakistan captain Maria Khan.
An opportunistic strike from India’s Dangmei Grace in the first half effectively settled the match in India’s favor. Grace received a through pass from Anju Tamang and accepted it gratefully and slipped it between the post and goalkeeper to double the lead. Soumya Gugulotha in the 94th minute scored the final goal of the match.
Now, the Indian women’s team is sitting at the top in Group A with three points. Bangladesh and Maldives are the other teams in the group. Host Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan are put in Group B.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals, which is scheduled to take place on September 16, 2022. The final will take place on September 19, 2022.
India women’s team won all of the previous five editions of the SAFF Women’s Championship (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2019).