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. She is the all-time highest goal scorer in Nepalese football history with 49 goals. She is the first Nepali female football player to get international recognition.^[3]

Sabitra Bhandari (Samba)

Personal information
Full name	Sabitra Bhandari
Date of birth	(1996-05-02) 2 May 1996 (age 27)
Place of birth	Simpani, Lamjung, 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	(29)
2023	Hapoel Ra'anana	2	(5)
2024–	Guingamp	4	(1)
International career^‡
2014–	Nepal	46	(49)
Medal record Women's football Representing    Nepal South Asian Games 2016 India 2022 Nepal SAFF Women's Championship Runner-up 2019 Nepal Runner-up 2022 Nepal WAFF Women's Championship Runner-up 2024 Saudi Arabia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 February 2024

Career

 

Bhandari in 2019

At club level, Bhandari plays for APF Club.^[4] she became the best women striker of south Asia at the age of 20. In February 2017 she was invited to play the Maldives women's league.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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 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.^[8] She scored the only goal in a friendly victory against Malaysia on 17 December 2016.^[9]

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.^[10]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Sethu FC	2018-19	Indian Women's League	7	15	—		—		—		7	15
	Total		7	15	—		—		—		7	15
Gokulam Kerala	2019–20	Indian Women's League	7	16	—		—		—		7	16
	2022–23	Indian Women's League	10	29	—		—		—		10	29
	Total		17	45	—		—		—		17	45
Hapoel Ra'anana	2023-24	Liga Alef North	2	5	—		—		—		2	5
	Total		2	5	—		—		—		2	5
Guingamp	2023-24	Division 1 Féminine	4	1	—		—		—		4	1
	Total		4	1	—		—		—		4	1
Career total			29	66	—		—		—		29	66

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Nepal	2014	-	1
	2015	-	0
	2016	-	13
	2017	-	2
	2018	-	1
	2019	-	18
	2020	-	0
	2021	-	0
	2022	-	2
	2023	-	6
	2024	4	10
Total		46	53

International goals

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competititon
1.	12 November 2014	Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad, Pakistan	Bhutan	8–0	8–0	2014 SAFF Women's Championship
2.	13 February 2016	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong, India	Sri Lanka	2–0	4–0	2016 South Asian Games
3.				3–0
4.	26 December 2016	Kanchenjunga Stadium, Siliguri, India	Bhutan	1–0	8–0	2016 SAFF Women's Championship
5.				2–0
6.				3–0
7.				5–0
8.				6–0
9.				7–0
10.	28 December 2016		Maldives	1–0	9–0
11.				2–0
12.				3–0
13.				4–0
14.				6–0
15.	2 January 2017		India	1–2	1–3
16.	11 November 2018	Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon, Myanmar	Myanmar	1–0	1–1	2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
17.	11 February 2019	Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, India	India	1–0	2–1	2019 Women's Gold Cup
18.				2–0
19.	13 February 2019		Iran	2–0	3–0
20.				3–0
21.	9 April 2019	Bahtoo Stadium, Mandalay, Myanmar	Indonesia	1–0	2–1	2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
22.				2–1
23.	12 March 2019	Sahid Rangsala, Biratnagar, Nepal	Bhutan	2–0	3–0	2019 SAFF Women's Championship
24.	16 March 2019		Bangladesh	2–0	3–0
25.	20 March 2019		Sri Lanka	3–0	4–0
26.	22 March 2019		India	1–1	1–3
27.	8 September 2019	Central Stadium Karakol, Kyrgyzstan	Kyrgyzstan	1–0	8–2	Friendly
28.				2–0
29.				6–2
30.				7–2
31.	10 September 2019		Tajikistan	1–0	1–0
32.	5 December 2019	Pokhara Rangasala, Pokhara, Nepal	Maldives	1–0	3–0	2019 South Asian Games
33.				2–0
34.				3–0
35.	6 September 2022	Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal	Bhutan	1–0	4–0	2022 SAFF Women's Championship
36.				2–0
37.	16 February 2023	Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai, India	India	1–2	2–2	Friendly
38.				2–2
39.	5 April 2023	Dasarath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal	Vietnam	1–4	1–5	2024 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
40.	13 July 2023	Bir Sherestha Shaheed Shipahi Mostafa Kamal Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh	Bangladesh	1–1	1–1	Friendly
41.	20 February 2024	King Abdullah Sports City Reserve Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia	Syria	1–0	4–1	2024 WAFF Women's Championship
42.	22 February 2024		Iraq	1–0	5–0
43.				2–0
44.				3–0
45.				4–0
46.				5–0
47.	24 February 2024		Palestine	1–0	4–0
48.				2–0
49.	27 February 2024	Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia	Lebanon	1–1	2–1

Honours

Sethu FC

• Indian Women's League: 2018–19

Gokulam Kerala

• Indian Women's League: 2019–20, 2022–23^[11]

Individual

• Indian Women's League Top Scorer: 2019–20, 2022–23^[12]
• 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.^[13]

See also

• List of top international women's football goal scorers by country

References

1. "Bhandari on course of becoming all-time best". kathmandupost.com. 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. 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. . GoalNepal. 3 May 2016. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
5. "सावित्रा र अनिता भारत प्रस्थान". deshsanchar.com. from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
6. "पहिलो पटक इन्डियन लिग खेल्न जाँदै सावित्रा र अनिता". deshsanchar.com. from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
7. "भारतमा सावित्रा र अनिता". baahrakhari.com. from the original on 20 June 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
8. "SAG: Kamala Devi stars in India's title triumph". The Hindu. 15 February 2016. from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
9. "Bhandari's goal ensures Nepal victory over Malaysia". The Himalayan Times. 17 December 2016. from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
10. "Sabitra inspired Nepal routs Bhutan". The All Nepal Football Association. 26 December 2016. from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
11. . sportstar.thehindu.com. Chennai: Sportstar. 21 May 2023. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
12. . the-aiff.com. All India Football Federation. 21 May 2023. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
13. . Hamrokhelkud.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.