KATHMANDU: Nepal has been eliminated from the ongoing SAFF U-17 Women’s Championship in Bhutan after suffering a 4–1 loss to Bangladesh in Thimphu’s Changlimithang Stadium on Wednesday.

The defeat marked Nepal’s second straight loss against Bangladesh and left the team out of contention for the title.

Bangladesh’s Sorovi Akhand Priti was the star of the match, scoring a hat-trick with goals in the 38th, 45th, and 87th minutes, while Thuinue Marma added another in the 73rd minute.

Nepal’s Bhumika Budhathoki scored a consolation goal during injury time of the first half, bringing the score to 2–1 before Bangladesh pulled away in the second half.

Nepal had earlier lost 8–0 to India, defeated Bhutan 2–1, but fell 3–0 to Bangladesh in their first encounter. With just one win and three losses, Nepal finished with only 3 points from four matches.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, moved to 9 points from four games, sharing the top spot with India, who also have 9 points but with a match in hand.

The championship, contested by Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and hosts Bhutan, will be decided on a points basis, with the highest-ranked team winning the title.