KATHMANDU:  The Nepali national women’s football team has returned home after competing in the AFC qualifiers.

The team arrived in Kathmandu on Monday morning and was welcomed at Tribhuvan International Airport by All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) General Secretary Kiran Rai, spokesperson Suresh Shah, and other officials.

Nepal lost to Uzbekistan in their final match of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, ending their chances of qualifying for the tournament.

After returning home, national team captain Sabitra Bhandari ‘Samba’ said that although Nepal failed to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup, the players gained valuable learning experiences.

She remarked that playing against a higher-ranked team allowed them to gain more exposure and insight.

She also highlighted that despite trailing by two goals in the decisive match against Uzbekistan, the support from the bench motivated them to make a comeback by scoring a goal.