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Iran Women beats Nepal to win Indian tourney
The commanding victory came on the back of Tuesday’s 2-0 triumph against India and ensured Marziyeh Jafari’s girls topped the standings with six points, rendering Monday’s match between India and Nepal a formality in terms of the title chase.
Sara Didar, who came off the bench to score twice against the host, again made her presence felt as a substitute, breaking the deadlock in the 49th minute, followed by quick-fire strikes by prolific captain Zahra Qanbari and Shabnam Behesht.
The evening started with Nepal showing admirable resilience against an Iranian team ranked 70th in the world as the South Asian side held its shape in the opening half.
Iran, meanwhile, dominated possession, dictating the tempo and launching wave after wave of attacks, yet Nepal’s disciplined backline and determined pressing frustrated its opponent.
Nepal grew in confidence as the first half wore on, carving out a few half-chances of their own. Though the finishing was wayward, the sheer grit to fight Iran in midfield was admirable.
The first 45 minutes ended goalless, but it was clear the match was teetering on the edge of a decisive breakthrough.
That breakthrough came swiftly after the restart, when Didar latched onto a long ball from goalkeeper Raha Yazdani and muscled past defender Bimala BK before coolly slotting home past goalkeeper Anjila Tumbapo Subba to give Iran the lead.
Iran smelled blood and Nepal, despite its spirited defense in the first half, began to unravel. Qanbari doubled the lead with a superbly executed free-kick from the right flank. Her curling delivery completely outfoxed Subba and nestled into the top-right corner.
Iran’s third came in the 57th minute and it was the pick of the lot. Behesht unleashed a stunning left-footed strike from 20 yards, a rising effort that flew past Subba with pace and precision. It was a moment of pure class that effectively killed off the contest.
Three goals in eight blistering minutes broke Nepal’s resistance and confirmed Iran’s dominance. The final whistle brought Iranian celebrations, as they lifted the trophy after a statement performance.
The tournament was part of Iran’s preparation for next March’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia.
Iranian girls, who will feature in the finals for only the second time following their debut in 2022, will play the host, South Korea and the Philippines in Group A of the competition.
Iran will get its campaign underway against South Korea – runner-up to China in the previous edition – at the Gold Coast Stadium on March 2, before squaring off against Australia, which made it to the 2023 World Cup semifinals on home soil, three days later.
Jafari’s girls will hope to be in contention for a top-two finish in the group and a last-eight spot when they play the Philippines on March 8.