Tashkent, June 28 -- "Do you even have a stadium back home?"

That was the question the first generation of Nepali women footballers-who were not yet full-timers-heard from curious local fans when they travelled to Hong Kong for their maiden international appearance nearly 40 years ago.

The question was a result of the people in Hong Kong being curious about football in the country of mountains.

It was December 1986. Led by captain Rama Singh and coach Khem Gurung, Nepal were debuting at the sixth edition of the AFC Women's Championship, a tournament later rebranded as the AFC Women's Asian Cup from the 15th edition in 2006.

Their first taste of international football was bitter. The team conceded 12 goals in three group-stage matches ...