Kathmandu, Sept. 12 -- Stakes will be higher for Nepal when they take on title favourites Uzbekistan in the final of the Nadezhda Cup women's football tournament in Kyrgyzstan on Thursday.

Going by the performance of the two teams in the tournament, it might take a monumental effort for Nepal to beat the Uzbeks, having lost to the opponents 2-0 in the four-team round-robin league. Nepali national women team have never won silverware since making a foray into the international football in 1986.

The Nepali team have made it to the finals in seven international meets but have never been able to pass the last barrier. In the past five SAFF Women's Championships, Nepal have advanced to the finals on four occasions. But in each of those final...