Sabitra Bhandari

Sabitra Bhandari (Nepali: साबित्रा भण्डारी), popularly known as Samba,[1][2] is a Nepalese professional football player who plays as a forward for Division 1 Féminine club En Avant Guingamp and Nepal women's national team.

Sabitra Bhandari (Samba)
Personal information
Full name Sabitra Bhandari
Date of birth (1996-05-02) 2 May 1996
Place of birth Dhankuta, Gandaki Province, Nepal
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 En Avant Guingamp
Number 28
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2019 APF
2019 Sethu 7 (15)
2019–2020 Gokulam Kerala 7 (16)
2023 Gokulam Kerala 10 (31)
2023 Hapoel Ra'anana 2 (5)
2024– Guingamp 4 (1)
International career‡
2014– Nepal 46 (53)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing    Nepal
South Asian Games
2016 India
2022 Nepal
SAFF Women's Championship
Runner-up2019 Nepal
Runner-up2022 Nepal
WAFF Women's Championship
Runner-up 2024 Saudi Arabia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 June 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 June 2024

She is the all-time highest goal scorer in Nepalese football history and broke record as the highest woman goal scorer in South Asia with 49 goals. She made history by being the first Nepalese player to play and score in European league.[3]

Career

At club level, Bhandari plays for APF Club. Bhandari made the Nepal team for the 2014 South Asian Football Federation Championship and made her international debut against Bhutan, coming off the bench and sealing an 8–0 victory as a 17-year-old.[4] In February 2017 she was invited to play the Maldives women's league.

She became the highest scoring women striker of south Asia at the age of 20.

Sethu FC

She joined Indian Women's League side Sethu FC for the 2018-19 Indian Women's League season.[5][6][7] In her debut match she scored 4 goals for the club against Manipur Police Sports Club on 6 May 2019. She was also awarded with women of the match in her first match with Sethu FC.

She scored almost two goals a game during her time in India, leading Sethu FC to winning Indian Women’s League title.[8][9]

Gokulam Kerala FC

Bhandari joined Gokulam Kerala FC for the 2019–2020 season, and eventually won the League championship title and was the league top scorer with 16 goals.

After joining Gokulam Kerala FC again for the 2023 season, she continued her phenomenal prolificacy, managing league top scorer 31 goals, including five hat-tricks, to fire her club to league glory.

This lead her to lifting her third Indian Women’s League trophy.[10]

Hapoel Ra’anana

Bhandari joined Hapoel Ra’anana but the 7 October attack cut her spell short after 5 goals in two games.

En Avant Guingamp

She made her debut on Feb 3rd, 2024 coming as a substitute on 78th minute. She is the first Nepalese player to play and score in European league.

International career

Bhandari represents Nepal at the international level. She participated in and even scored a goal against Bhutan at the 2014 SAFF Women's Championship. She represented the country during the 2016 South Asian Games where she scored two goals against Sri Lanka.[11] She scored the only goal in a friendly victory against Malaysia on 17 December 2016.[12]

Bhandari then played in Nepal's first match of the 2016 SAFF Women's Championship against Bhutan. She scored six goals as Nepal won 8–0 to open the tournament and scored 5 goals against Maldives in the 2nd group match.[13]

Career statistics

Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sethu FC 2018–19 Indian Women's League 715——— 715
Total 715———715
Gokulam Kerala 2019–20 Indian Women's League 716——— 716
2022–23 Indian Women's League 1029——— 1029
Total 1745———1745
Hapoel Ra'anana 2023–24 Liga Alef North 25——— 25
Total 25———25
Guingamp 2023–24 Division 1 Féminine 41——— 41
Total 41———41
Career total 2966———2966

International
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Nepal 2014-1
2015-0
2016-13
2017-1
2018-1
2019-18
2020-0
2021-0
2022-2
2023-4
202449
Total4653

International goals
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetititon
1.12 November 2014Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad, Pakistan Bhutan8–08–02014 SAFF Women's Championship
2.13 February 2016Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong, India Sri Lanka2–04–02016 South Asian Games
3.3–0
4.26 December 2016Kanchenjunga Stadium, Siliguri, India Bhutan1–08–02016 SAFF Women's Championship
5.2–0
6.3–0
7.5–0
8.6–0
9.7–0
10.28 December 2016 Maldives1–09–0
11.2–0
12.3–0
13.4–0
14.6–0
15.2 January 2017 India1–21–3
16.11 November 2018Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon, Myanmar Myanmar1–01–12020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
17.11 February 2019Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, India India1–02–12019 Women's Gold Cup
18.2–0
19.13 February 2019 Iran2–03–0
20.3–0
21.9 April 2019Bahtoo Stadium, Mandalay, Myanmar Indonesia1–02–12020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
22.2–1
23.12 March 2019Sahid Rangsala, Biratnagar, Nepal Bhutan2–03–02019 SAFF Women's Championship
24.16 March 2019 Bangladesh2–03–0
25.20 March 2019 Sri Lanka3–04–0
26.22 March 2019 India1–11–3
27.8 September 2019Central Stadium Karakol, Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan1–08–2Friendly
28.2–0
29.6–2
30.7–2
31.10 September 2019 Tajikistan1–01–0
32.5 December 2019Pokhara Rangasala, Pokhara, Nepal Maldives1–03–02019 South Asian Games
33.2–0
34.3–0
35.6 September 2022Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal Bhutan1–04–02022 SAFF Women's Championship
36.2–0
37.16 February 2023Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai, India India1–22–2Friendly
38.2–2
39.5 April 2023Dasarath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal Vietnam1–41–52024 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
40.13 July 2023Bir Sherestha Shaheed Shipahi Mostafa Kamal Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh Bangladesh1–11–1Friendly
41.20 February 2024King Abdullah Sports City Reserve Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Syria1–04–12024 WAFF Women's Championship
42.22 February 2024 Iraq1–05–0
43.2–0
44.3–0
45.4–0
46.5–0
47.24 February 2024 Palestine1–04–0
48.2–0
49.27 February 2024Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Lebanon1–12–1

Honours

Sethu FC

Gokulam Kerala

Individual

  • Indian Women's League Top Scorer: 2019–20, 2022–23[15]
  • Top Goal Scorer of 2016 SAFF Women's Championship,
  • Best Player of Pradhansenapati International women's football tournament 2013,
  • Seventh National Game Of Nepal 2013 women's football top goal scorer,
  • 2019 Pulsar Sports Award woman's Player Of The year.[16]

See also

References
  1. "Bhandari on course of becoming all-time best". kathmandupost.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  2. "Nepal's all-time top scorer Sabitra Bhandari 'Samba' features in FIFA.com". The Himalayan Times. 2 June 2020. Archived from the original on 19 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  3. Baniya, Sudesh (5 March 2024). "Feeding cattle to breaking barriers: Nepal goal machine Sabitra Bhandari". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  4. "Women's Tournament Best Forward". GoalNepal. 3 May 2016. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  5. "सावित्रा र अनिता भारत प्रस्थान". deshsanchar.com. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  6. "पहिलो पटक इन्डियन लिग खेल्न जाँदै सावित्रा र अनिता". deshsanchar.com. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  7. "भारतमा सावित्रा र अनिता". baahrakhari.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  8. Baniya, Sudesh (5 March 2024). "Feeding cattle to breaking barriers: Nepal goal machine Sabitra Bhandari". The Guardian.
  9. "Bhandari's journey from barefoot dreamer to Nepal dazzler". inside.fifa.com.
  10. "Bhandari's journey from barefoot dreamer to Nepal dazzler". inside.fifa.com.
  11. "SAG: Kamala Devi stars in India's title triumph". The Hindu. 15 February 2016. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  12. "Bhandari's goal ensures Nepal victory over Malaysia". The Himalayan Times. 17 December 2016. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  13. "Sabitra inspired Nepal routs Bhutan". The All Nepal Football Association. 26 December 2016. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  14. "Indian Women's League 2023: Gokulam Kerala thrash Kickstart FC 5–0 to win third consecutive title". sportstar.thehindu.com. Chennai: Sportstar. 21 May 2023. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  15. "Gokulam Kerala steamroll Kickstart to complete hat-trick of Hero IWL titles". the-aiff.com. All India Football Federation. 21 May 2023. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  16. "सावित्रालाई उत्कृष्ट महिला खेलाडी अवार्ड". Hamrokhelkud.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
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