Margao: Bhutan swept aside the challenge of Sri Lanka 4-0 to take a giant step towards the semifinals of the SAFF Women’s Championship 2026 at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, here, on Thursday.After going down by a solitary goal against Nepal in the opener, Bhutan delivered in a must-win game, thanks to the efforts of captain Pema Tshering, who led from the front with a fine hat-trick. Deki Lhazom was also among the goals.The team in orange dominated from start to finish and hardly gave their opponents a shot on target in their first tie of the competition. Yeshey Bidha was lively on the flanks with numerous deliveries. One such cross created panic in the Sri Lanka box in the early stages and found Namgyel Dema, whose effort was cleared on the goalline by a rival defender.Bhutan got the breakthrough just before the half an hour mark as Pema positioned herself well to head home a cross from Tshering Lhaden.That was the only success for Bhutan in the opening half.In the second, Bhutan inflated their tally in the 54th minute when Deki gave finishing touches to a low cross by substitute Sherab Pelmo.With 10 minutes remaining, Pema got her second after an assist from Deki, and, three minutes later, completed a well-deserved hat-trick.Deki could have made it a five-star show from Bhutan in added time, but Sri Lanka keeper Tharushika Dilshan left her frustrated with a fine save.Bhutan now await a clash against either India or Bangladesh in the semifinals.
