THE NMI U20 Women’s National Team carved their name into the history books on Day 3 of the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers by securing a 3-0 victory over Bahrain — marking the NMI team’s first win in any AFC tournament.
It was a night to remember, with striker Kaithlyn Chavez delivering a masterclass in attacking play, scoring twice and assisting the third goal for teammate Summer Manahane.
From the opening whistle, NMI came out with confidence and determination. Chavez, a constant menace to Bahrain’s backline, nearly broke the deadlock early with two promising efforts — the second forcing a quick reflex save from Bahrain goalkeeper Dhuwa Alfaihani.
NMI’s breakthrough came just past the 20-minute mark. Receiving a pass from teammate Iris Rasa, Chavez turned sharply, sliced through three Bahrain defenders, rounded Alfaihani, and calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net, igniting celebrations from the NMI bench.
After halftime, Bahrain pushed forward, but the NMI defense — marshaled by goalkeeper Mia Abuan — held firm. Aside from two long-range attempts, Bahrain struggled to find a way through and were kept silent.
NMI doubled their lead by the 83rd minute thanks to another moment of brilliance from Chavez, who charged down the left flank, beat her marker, and delivered a pinpoint pass to Manahane, who finished strong for a 2-0 advantage.
During added time, pressure from NMI forced an error from Bahrain, allowing Ye Lynn Ha to pounce on the loose ball and square it unselfishly to Chavez, who guided her shot into the net to seal a triumphant 3-0 victory.
NMI lost 8-0 to host country Uzbekistan on Saturday and 6-1 to Jordan on Thursday.
The NMI U20 Women’s National Team players pose before their match against Bahrain at Dustlik Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Sunday.
NMI’s Kaithlyn Chavez celebrates after scoring a goal against Bahrain during their match in the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers at Dustlik Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Sunday.
