They call her Samba. A Nepalese football legend at 28 with more career goals to her name than games played, Sabitra Bhandari is ready to be unleashed in the Ninja A-League.
Signed by Wellington Phoenix amid a stunning recruitment spree of top-drawer international talent, Bhandari will spearhead the Phoenix attack in 2025-26; her arrival in New Zealand is not only expected to trouble defenders around the Ninja A-League, but also attract a previously untapped market of supporters to Porirua Park.
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Wellington served the bye in Round 1 but will open their 2025-26 campaign with a home game against Canberra United on Saturday, November 8.
When Samba first arrived in New Zealand, she was swamped by Nepalese fans at the airport. Now, she hopes to see those fans, and many more, turn out in droves to support their international captain at her new club as the Phoenix set off in pursuit of a club-first Finals Series appearance in 2025-26.
“As a player I have massive support from Nepal as well as other countries too,” Bhandari said.
“It’s great, I’m really proud to have them. Also, it’s a really huge pressure to me to prove myself (on) the pitch as well as outside the pitch.
“I’m really excited to play here, I like to support the team by scoring. I have to prove myself, so hopefully I can score more goals here.”
“Of course they ( the fans) will be there to support us and this is a great chance to meet them also,” she added.
“From social media, every Nepalese football fan is so excited to see our games. I’m really happy to be here, every Nepalese football fan is so excited to see our league.”
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Throughout her career, Bhandari has been a trailblazer for female footballers in South Asia. Her career began with a five-year stint at Nepali club APF – where she earned the nickname ‘Samba’, coined by her teammates who wanted a shorter, sharper name to call when calling for the ball on the field.
Bhandari then scored 60 goals in 24 games in the Indian Women’s Super League before moving to Israeli club Hapoel Ra’anana and then Guingamp in France, where she became the first South Asian player to score a hat-trick in a top European league.
Now, she’s eager to make the most of an unexpected move to Wellington and New Zealand.
“To be honest, I had no idea (about Wellington Phoenix) before,” she explained.
“When I got the opportunity from this club, my agency said we have a massive offer from New Zealand. Even at that moment, to be honest, I searched on Google the country and then the football, and then the position, what kind of league and the intensity of the league. And I was at that moment (that) I’d love to play here.
“We have a very good squad this season; that’s why I chose to play in the A-League here. Before I was in France and I had other options. Here, there are massive teammates and I saw so many legendary players from the New Zealand team as well.
“We also have a massive Nepalese football (fanbase) and we have a very positive Nepalese community as well. That’s why I chose here.”
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Samba is one of six senior internationals signed by Wellington this off-season, along with Dominican Republic captain Lucia Leon, Dutch midfielder Tessel Middag and Football Ferns Victoria Esson, CJ Bott and Macey Fraser.
The flurry of big-name arrivals at the club has painted a target on Wellington’s back this season; a club that has never made the Finals Series is suddenly a contender for silverware in the Ninja A-League this season – a fact that Bhandari is eager to embrace as the Phoenix begin their campaign on Saturday afternoon.
“We have to prove ourselves,” she said. “This is the first game in our home. We have a huge pressure, this season, we have massive teammates… every single moment and every single match we’ll have a challenge, so we have to prove ourselves and hopefully we can do it.”
