Bhubaneswar: After an emphatic win against IR Iran, India bowed down to Nepal 2-1 in their second game of the Hero Gold Cup 2019 at Kalinga Stadium here on Monday.
Nepal forward Sabitra Bhandari’s brace took the team past India. She struck her first goal in the fourth minute and scored the second two minutes later to give Nepal a 2-0 lead. After numerous missed chances, India’s Ratanbala Deviin scored in the 83rd minute, a little too late to get back in the game.
In the other clash of the day, Myanmar defeated Iran 2-0 to remain at the top of the table with six points from two games. While India and Nepal are locked in second place with three points each, Iran is yet to open its account.
The four-nation tournament, the first such competition in India for senior women’s team, is being organised by All India Football Federation in association with the Odisha government. It will be played in a round-robin format with the two top teams making it to the final on February 15.
Myanmar are the highest ranked team in the tournament with a FIFA ranking of 44, while Iran are ranked 60th and India are 62. Nepal will be the lowest-ranked team.
