Kathmandu, December 20, 2024 – Nepal's U-16 football team suffered a 5-1 defeat to Bhutan's U-16 team in a friendly match held at the Dasharath Stadium in Tripureshwor on Friday. This marks the first time that Nepal has lost to Bhutan at this age group level.

Bhutan put on a dominant performance, taking an early lead and never relinquishing control of the match. Tshering Lamo scored twice, and Sonam Chogyal added another, giving Bhutan a commanding 3-0 lead by halftime.

The match saw a rough start for Nepal as Bhutan struck in the 11th minute. Tshering Lamo capitalized on a defensive lapse, scoring with a powerful shot after receiving a pass from Khandu Somo. Bhutan doubled their advantage in the 23rd minute when Sonam Sogyal slotted home a loose ball after a mishandling by the Nepali defense.

Just five minutes later, Tshering Lamo netted her second goal, finishing off a well-timed pass to make it 3-0, sealing a dominant first-half display for Bhutan.

The second half saw more misery for Nepal, as Bhutan continued to pile on the pressure. In the 65th minute, Sonam Sogyal scored her second goal of the match to make it 4-0. Nepal’s defense struggled to contain the attacking duo of Tshering and Sonam, and things got worse in the 84th minute when Bhutan converted a penalty, extending lead to 5-0.

Nepal managed to pull one goal back in the dying minutes of the match, as substitute Sabina Tamang found the back of the net from a cross by Dolma, making it 5-1. However, the goal proved to be little more than a consolation, as Bhutan held firm to secure a historic victory.

This loss marks a painful milestone for Nepal's U-16 team, who had previously never lost to Bhutan in their age group. The defeat highlights the challenges Nepal’s youth team faces on the international stage and underscores the need for improvement in defense and overall team coordination.