KATHMANDU: Nepal Armed Police Force Club (APF) closed in on the National Women’s League title after registering their ninth consecutive win with a 6-0 defeat of Waling Municipality Syangja.
APF will win the title if they win the remaining two matches regardless of results elsewhere. They have five points lead over Tribhuvan Army Football Club (TAFC).
Sabitra Bhandari scored five times for APF while Preeti Rai had one in the win at ANFA Complex. Bhandari opened the scoring in the seventh minute and added another in the 16th. Four minutes later she completed her hat-trick.
Preeti Rai made it 4-0 in the added minutes of the first half. Waling had few chances of their own but lacked finishing upfront in the first half.
Waling improved in the second half but were unable to prevent Bhandari from scoring twice in the second half. Bhandari fourth in the 64th minute was scoffed into the net by Waling’s goalie Sabitri Kishan. There was little Kishan could do in Bhandari’s fifth in the last added minutes.
APF coach Bhagwati Thapa lauded the impact of foreign players in Waling’s performance. “Their foreign players are really good and speedy. We could score early goals which helped us,” said Thapa.
Waling’s coach Dilip Thapa said no team likes to lose but should accept it and move on. “Our next two games are very important for us. We win those two, we can finish in third place,” said Thapa.
Waling are currently in third place with 14 points, above Nepal Police Club on head-to-head difference but have played a game more than NPC.
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