NEPAL: (ePRESS) – Sri Lanka’s golden girl, Imesha Warnakulasuriya, scored the only goal of the match, leading the Sri Lanka women’s team to a 1-0 victory against the Maldives in their opening match of Group ‘B’ at the SAFF Women’s Football Championship, took place at the Dashrath Rangasala Stadium in Nepal on Friday.
Debutant Imesha Warnakulasuriya made an impressive start to her career by scoring the first goal in the 17th minute of the match. She delivered a stunning header, perfectly connecting with a beautifully taken corner kick.
This victory marked a significant turnaround for Sri Lanka, who had lost their previous four matches in the recent past.
Despite a tense five minutes of added time, Sri Lanka managed to hold off a determined Maldives team to secure the win. The Sri Lanka women’s team will look to build on this success as they prepare for their next match against Bhutan on Monday, followed by a clash with host nation Nepal on Thursday.
The starting XI for Sri Lanka included captain Thushani Madushika, goalkeeper IY Weerasinghe, and players Kumudini Godawalage, Dewanuni de Silva, Koswattage Perera, Mahamage Perera, Shanu Paskaran, Imesha Anuradhini, Tharmika Sivaneswaran, Yuwarani Selvaraju, and Navanjana Perera.