Flags, cheers, and unbreakable faith: Nepali fans who surprised Tashkent

Himgyap Tashi Lama travelled from the US to Uzbekistan to cheer Nepal’s women’s football team, rallying dozens of Nepali supporters and leaving players overwhelmed by their unexpected support.

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.