No matter what happens in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) women’s championship at the Dashrath Rangasala today, Nepali football has already won. The script could have gone badly wrong last Sunday, when Nepal faced India in a heated semi-final. Tempers flared, and Nepali players at one point appeared ready to forfeit the match, the consequences be damned. But better sense prevailed, they took to the field again, and then went on to register one of the most memorable victories in the annals of Nepali sports. What was impressive was not just the spectacular victory of our women’s national team against India, the five-time champions, 4-2 on penalties, but also their manifest sportsmanship despite being at the end of some very iffy refereeing decisions.

India has always been a formidable team, and this was only the second time our ladies had defeated the southern juggernaut. Although India must have anticipated a competitive match after their 1-0 defeat to Nepal in the tournament’s last edition, surely, they couldn’t have foreseen such a massive turnout of Nepali supporters eager to witness their women players take the field. This, combined with Nepal’s compact defence holding strong despite being down to 10 players, left the Indians formless after the second-half pause, which lasted over an hour following Preeti Kulung Rai’s disallowed equaliser to India’s Sangita Basfore’s 30-yard goal.

The umpiring team’s decision to rule out Nepal’s goal following the referee’s restart while the Indians were celebrating Basfore’s strike sparked widespread criticism. The Nepali team had the right to protest; a goal cannot be disallowed after the referee restarts a match. The enraged crowd threw bottles and shouted, “Referee out,” alerting the security personnel in the overflowing stadium. In time, things calmed down and the Nepali women decided to fight back. The star players were Sabitra Bhandari, “Samba,” who scored the equalising goal as well as a penalty kick, and Anjana Rana Magar, the keeper who saved two penalties. The resilience and determination the national women’s team showed on the field touched every Nepali.

Yes, the times are changing, and female players are finally getting the appreciation they deserve. However, the country should aim higher. The monthly salary for the women’s team is only around 30,000 per player as of August 2024. Nor do women get many chances to play domestically. Given the inability to earn in Nepal, many players go abroad in search of better opportunities. Likewise, while male footballers are busy playing several national-level leagues around the year, women’s leagues rarely take place and are poorly managed. In terms of prize money, men are usually rewarded with huge cash prizes, whereas the amounts are substantially less for women.

Samba, the all-time highest-scoring footballer in Nepal and the only Nepali to play and score in a European league, was discovered by a National team referee in her home district’s women’s football tournament when she was 16. Other female footballers have similar stories. So having more grassroots leagues and tournaments that bring out hidden talents is vital to encourage women.

Now, all eyes will be on our ladies who face Bangladesh in the finals today. The absence of Rekha Poudel, Samba’s attacking partner, will be felt as Bangladesh is a strong opponent we failed to defeat last time. But again, win or lose, the Nepali women’s fortitude and sportsmanship displayed last Sunday have already won the hearts of millions of Nepali football fans. They will be happy today so long as the Nepali team gives its 100 percent.