India football team lose 2-1 to Nepal

The Indian football team suffered a 2-1 upset against Nepal in their second and final game of the Tri-Nation Women’s International Friendlies 2025 in Shillong on Monday.

Part of the October FIFA Women’s International Match Window, the football match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium saw world No. 63 India go two goals behind with Sabitra Bhandari (2’, 63’) scoring a brace to hand Nepal, 89th in the rankings, a surprise lead.

Karishma Shirvoikar (81’) scored her maiden international goal for India, but it turned out to be only a consolation.

Nepal got an early start to the game when Sabitra was set through on goal in the second minute itself, as she chased a bouncing ball before dinking it over India goalkeeper Elangbam Panthoi Chanu to hand her side the early advantage.

One goal down, India began their search for a way back into the game, with Nongmaithem Ratanbala Devi pulling the strings from midfield. Her powerful shot from outside the box at the quarter-hour mark was tipped over the bar by Anjana Rana Magar.

Minutes later, the Indian midfielder’s low free-kick was also saved.

India’s best chance of the first half came in the 32nd minute, when Grace Dangmei surged up the right and sent in a low centre towards Lynda Kom Serto.

While the latter was unable to reach the cross, the clearance fell to Sangita Basfore, who blasted it over.

Moments before the half-time whistle, Panthoi bravely stepped off her line to produce a save after Sabitra was again played in behind the Indian defence.

India kept looking for an equaliser in the second half, but it was the Nepal women’s football team who managed to double its lead.

Sabitra showed her quality once again when she stepped up to take a free-kick from close range in the 63rd minute and produced a shot that curled and dipped into the top corner, just out of Panthoi’s reach.

Despite the second goal, India, playing a relatively younger side, kept looking for the goal. Forward Pyari Xaxa was played through on the right by Nirmala, but Anjana rushed out to collect the ball.

India finally found the net in the 81st minute, when a freekick launched upfield by Phanjoubam Nirmala Devi bounced over the Nepal back line and landed kindly for substitute Karishma Shirvoikar to sneak it past the goalkeeper.

The Blue Tigresses applied the pressure in the closing stages, but Nepal held on to their lead to seal the result.

This was the second defeat for the Blue Tigresses in six matches.

India beat Mongolia (13-0), Timor-Leste (4-0), Iraq (5-0) and Thailand (2-1) in Chiang Mai to qualify for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup earlier this year but lost 2-0 to the Islamic Republic of Iran last week at the same venue.

The friendly matches against Iran and Nepal were a key part of the Indian women’s football team’s build-up to the AFC Asian Cup 2026 in Australia.

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