KATHMANDU: Nepal will be without key players Sabitra Bhandari (Samba) and Preeti Rai in the final friendly match against India scheduled for Wednesday, the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) confirmed.

The match, initially set for Thursday, was rescheduled for Wednesday but will be an unofficial fixture, as only two matches during the FIFA international window are recognized officially.

Nepal had earlier lost 3–0 to Iran but made a strong comeback by defeating India 2–1, with Samba scoring both goals in that win.

As the final match is not recognized by FIFA, Samba has already returned to Australia, where she plays club football, while midfielder Preeti Rai has returned to Nepal and will soon depart for Jordan to join her club Al-Ittihad.

Samba, before leaving, extended her best wishes to her teammates through social media as the national team prepares to conclude its friendly series against India.