Long before records were rewritten and milestones chased down at record speed, Sabitra Bhandari began her international career by quietly adding goals to the scoresheet, one by one. Today, with 68 international goals in just 61 matches, she stands as South Asia’s most prolific women’s international goal scorer. But the foundation of that legacy was built through these first 15 goals.
Every legend has a beginning. This is the story of her first 15 goals, the foundation of her legacy.
First International Goal – Sabitra Bhandari
Venue: Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad
Opponent: Bhutan
Competition: 2014 SAFF Women’s Championship
Nepal Result: 8–0 win
Goals Scored by Sabitra in the Match: 1
Sabitra scored her first international goal on 12 November 2014. This was also her debut match for the Nepal women’s national team. In that match, Sabitra Bhandari scored Nepal’s eighth goal in the 8–0 victory over Bhutan. It was not the opening goal, nor the match-winner, but it was historic. That strike officially opened her goal-scoring account for Nepal and marked the beginning of a journey that would later redefine South Asian women’s football.
Second International Goal – Sabitra Bhandari
Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong
Opponent: Sri Lanka
Competition: 2016 South Asian Games
Nepal Result: 4–0 win
Goals Scored by Sabitra in the Match: 2
Sabitra scored her second and third international goals on 13 February 2016 against Sri Lanka. In this match, she first scored Nepal’s second goal to make the score 2–0, and later added Nepal’s third goal to take the score to 3–0. Nepal eventually went on to win the match 4–0. With these two goals in a single match, Sabitra increased her international goal tally from one to three, marking an important step forward in her national team career and underlining her growing confidence at international level.
Fourth to Ninth International Goals (vs Bhutan)
Venue: Kanchenjunga Stadium, Siliguri, India
Opponent: Bhutan
Competition: 2016 SAFF Women’s Championship
Nepal Result: 8–0 win
Goals Scored by Sabitra in the Match: 6
Sabitra scored her fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth international goals on 26 December 2016 against Bhutan. In this match, she scored Nepal’s first goal to make it 1–0, then added Nepal’s second goal (2–0) and third goal (3–0). She later returned to score Nepal’s fifth goal (5–0), sixth goal (6–0) and seventh goal (7–0). Nepal eventually completed an 8–0 victory. With six goals in a single match, Sabitra increased her international goal tally from four to nine, marking one of the most prolific performances of her early international career.
5 Goals in Single Match (vs Maldives)
Venue: Kanchenjunga Stadium, Siliguri, India
Opponent: Maldives
Competition: 2016 SAFF Women’s Championship
Nepal Result: 9–0 win
Goals Scored by Sabitra in the Match: 5
Sabitra scored her tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth international goals on 28 December 2016 against Maldives. She opened the scoring with Nepal’s first goal (1–0) and followed it with Nepal’s second (2–0) and third goals (3–0). She then added Nepal’s fourth goal (4–0) before later scoring Nepal’s sixth goal (6–0). Nepal went on to register a dominant 9–0 win. By the end of the match, Sabitra had raised her international goal tally from nine to fourteen, underlining her growing reputation as Nepal’s primary goal scorer.
Fifteenth International Goal
Venue: Siliguri, India
Opponent: India
Competition: 2016 SAFF Women’s Championship
Nepal Result: 1–3 loss
Goals Scored by Sabitra in the Match: 1
Sabitra scored her fifteenth international goal on 2 January 2017 against India. In the final match of SAFF 2016, she netted Nepal’s second goal to make the score 2–1 at the time. Although Nepal eventually lost the match 3–1, the goal was significant. With this strike, Sabitra took her international goal tally from fourteen to fifteen, reaching the milestone against the strongest opposition in South Asian women’s football.
These first 15 international goals formed the foundation of Sabitra Bhandari’s extraordinary career with the Nepal women’s national team. Scored across major regional tournaments opposition, they also marked her transition from a debutant to a dependable goal scorer. From that point onward, her rise accelerated rapidly, eventually taking her to 68 international goals in just 61 matches. At 29, she remains active and influential, with these early goals standing as the opening chapter of a legacy that continues to grow.