Kathmandu, July 11 -- When the Nepal women's football team arrived in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers, they did not expect to hear familiar cheers rising from the stands. Central Asia, after all, was not a place they imagined would host Nepali supporters.

But as the squad stepped onto the pitch at Bunyodkor (Milliy) Stadium to warm up ahead of their first match against Laos on June 29, they were greeted by an unexpected sight: a small group of Nepali fans waving the national flag and calling out encouragement.

Among them was Himgyap Tashi Lama, originally from Nepal's remote Mugu district and now a longtime resident of Colorado, USA. Lama, who had travelled thousands of miles to be there, was accompanied b...