Sabitra Bhandari
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 Bhandari in 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Sabitra Bhandari | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 23 May 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Lamjung, Nepal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Wellington Phoenix | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2019 | APF | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Sethu | 7 | (15) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Gokulam Kerala | 7 | (16) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Gokulam Kerala | 10 | (29) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Hapoel Ra'anana | 4 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Guingamp | 29 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Wellington Phoenix | 6 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014– | Nepal | 61 | (68) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 26 January 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 6 July 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sabitra Bhandari (Nepali: साबित्रा भण्डारी, pronounced [saːbit̪ra bʱʌɳɖari]),[1] popularly known as Samba,[2][3] is a Nepalese professional footballer who plays as a striker for A-League Women club Wellington Phoenix and captains the Nepal national team.
She is the all-time highest goal scorer in Nepalese football history and broke record as the highest female goalscorer in South Asia, with 53 goals.[4] She made history by being the first Nepalese player to play and score in top tier European league.[5] She is also the first ever South Asian player to score a hat-trick in a top tier European league.[6][7]
Sethu FC
At club level, Bhandari played for APF Club. Bhandari made into Nepal national team for the 2014 South Asian Football Federation ChampionshiP and made her international debut against Bhutan, coming off the bench and sealing an 8–0 victory as a 17-year-old.[8]
She joined Indian Women's League side Sethu FC for the 2018-19 Indian Women's League season.[9][10][11] 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.
She scored in average of two goals a game during her time in India, leading Sethu FC to winning Indian Women's League title.[12][13]
Gokulam Kerala FC
Bhandari joined Gokulam Kerala FC for the 2019–2020 season, and eventually won the League championship title and was the league top scorer with 16 goals.
After returning to Gokulam Kerala FC for the 2023 season, she was the league's top scorer with 31 goals, including five hat-tricks. Her performance helped the team win the league title, marking her third Indian Women's League trophy.
Hapoel Ra'anana
In June 2023, Bhandari joined Israeli club Hapoel Ra'anana[14] with the announcement receiving over 800 comments and thousands of views while the Israeli embassy in Kathmandu invited her to congratulate her personally.[15] Bhandari made her club debut in August, playing in a cup match against Maccabi Kishronot Hadera, scoring a 90th minute goal in a 2–0 win.[16][17] She opened the 2024–25 Ligat Nashim season well, scoring all 4 goals in a 4–0 victory over Ramat HaSharon.[18] She also scored in her second match, a 1–1 draw against Hapoel Petah Tikva.[19] Afterwards she scored an injury time equaliser against last season's runner-up Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem.[20] Following the October 7 attacks, Bhandari's spell was cut short[21][22] after scoring six goals in four league games as well as one goal in three cup matches.[23]
En Avant Guingamp
She made her debut on Feb 3rd, 2024 coming as a substitute on 78th minute. She scored her first goal against Lille OSC on March 2, 2024.In her first season, she scored 1 goal in 10 games for Guingamp.[24]
In 2024–25 season, she scored 6 goals in 19 games making her Guingamp's top goal scorer for 2024–25 season. On March 21, 2025, Bhandari scored brace against Paris Saint-Germain FC. She also scored hattrick against AS Saint-Étienne making her first ever Nepalese and South Asian player to score hattrick in top tier league in Europe.
Wellington Phoenix
In July 2025, Wellington Phoenix announced the signing of Bhandari on a two-year contract.[25] On 20 December 2025, Sabitra Bhandari scored two goals and provided one assist for Wellington Phoenix in a league match against Sydney FC in the A-League Women. The match marked her fourth appearance for the club, during which she found the net for the first time. With this performance, Bhandari became the first Nepali footballer to score in the A-League Women.
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.[26] She scored the only goal in a friendly victory against Malaysia on 17 December 2016.[27]
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.[28]
Career statistics
Club
| 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 | 10 | 31 | — | — | — | 10 | 31 | |||||
| Total | 17 | 45 | — | — | — | 17 | 45 | |||||
| Hapoel Ra'anana | 2023–24 | Liga Alef North | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | 4 | 6 | |||
| Total | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | 4 | 6 | |||||
| En Avant Guingamp | 2023–24 | Première Ligue | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | |||
| 2024–25 | 25 | 6 | — | — | — | 25 | 6 | |||||
| Total | 29 | 7 | — | — | — | 29 | 7 | |||||
| Wellington Phoenix | 2025–26 | A-League Women | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | |||
| Total | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | |||||
| Career total | 61 | 75 | — | — | — | 61 | 75 | |||||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nepal | 2014 | - | 1 |
| 2015 | - | 1 | |
| 2016 | - | 13 | |
| 2017 | - | 1 | |
| 2018 | - | 1 | |
| 2019 | - | 20 | |
| 2020 | - | 0 | |
| 2021 | - | 0 | |
| 2022 | - | 2 | |
| 2023 | - | 4 | |
| 2024 | - | 11 | |
| 2025 | - | 11 | |
| Total | 56 | 65 | |
International goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | 12 March 2019 | Sahid Rangsala, Biratnagar, Nepal | Bhutan | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2019 SAFF Women's Championship |
| 22. | 16 March 2019 |  Bangladesh | 2–0 | 3–0 | ||
| 23. | 20 March 2019 | Sri Lanka | 3–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 24. | 22 March 2019 | India | 1–1 | 1–3 | ||
| 25. | 9 April 2019 | Bahtoo Stadium, Mandalay, Myanmar |  Indonesia | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2020 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament |
| 26. | 2–1 | |||||
| 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. | 12 September 2019 |  Uzbekistan | 1–? | 2–3 | ||
| 33. | 2–? | |||||
| 34. | 5 December 2019 | Pokhara Rangasala, Pokhara, Nepal | Maldives | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2019 South Asian Games |
| 35. | 2–0 | |||||
| 36. | 3–0 | |||||
| 37. | 6 September 2022 | Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal | Bhutan | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2022 SAFF Women's Championship |
| 38. | 2–0 | |||||
| 39. | 16 February 2023 | Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai, India | India | 1–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 40. | 2–2 | |||||
| 41. | 5 April 2023 | Dasarath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal |  Vietnam | 1–4 | 1–5 | 2024 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament |
| 42. | 13 July 2023 | Bir Sherestha Shaheed Shipahi Mostafa Kamal Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 43. | 20 February 2024 | King Abdullah Sports City Reserve Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |  Syria | 1–0 | 4–1 | 2024 WAFF Women's Championship |
| 44. | 22 February 2024 |  Iraq | 1–0 | 5–0 | ||
| 45. | 2–0 | |||||
| 46. | 3–0 | |||||
| 47. | 4–0 | |||||
| 48. | 5–0 | |||||
| 49. | 24 February 2024 |  Palestine | 1–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 50. | 2–0 | |||||
| 51. | 27 February 2024 | Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |  Lebanon | 1–1 | 2–1 | |
| 52. | 24 October 2024 | Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal | Sri Lanka | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2024 SAFF Women's Championship |
| 53. | 27 October 2024 | India | 1–1 | 1–1 | ||
| 54. | 20 February 2025 | Lebanon | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2025 Vianet Championship | |
| 55. | 23 February 2025 | Myanmar | 2–2 | 2–2 | ||
| 56. | 29 June 2025 | Milliy Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan |  Laos | 2–0 | 9–0 | 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification |
| 57. | 4–0 | |||||
| 58. | 6–0 | |||||
| 59. | 7–0 | |||||
| 60. | 2 July 2025 | Sri Lanka | 2–0 | 8–0 | ||
| 61. | 3–0 | |||||
| 62. | 4–0 | |||||
| 63. | 5 July 2025 | Uzbekistan | 1–2 | 3–3 (2–4 p) | ||
| 64. | 3–3 | |||||
| 65. | 27 October 2025 | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong, India | India | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 66. | 2–0 |
Honours
Sethu FC
Gokulam Kerala
Individual
- Indian Women's League Top Scorer: 2019–20, 2022–23[30]
- 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.[31]
