The inaugural SAFF Club Women's Championship kicks off on Friday at Dasharath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu, featuring five league champions from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan.

Bangladesh Women's League winners Nasrin Sports Academy will face Nepal's APF Club in the second match, following the opening clash between Pakistan's Karachi FC and Bhutan's Transport United Ladies Club at the same venue.

The tournament will begin with round-robin matches among the five teams, with the top two advancing to the final on December 20.

National forward Sanjida Akter leads the youthful Nasrin Sports Academy squad, which includes players such as Sauravi Akanda Prity, Alpi Akter, Shanti Mardi, Mamoni Chakma, Yearzan Begum, Puja Das, Ruma Akter, Arpita Biswas, Trishna Rani, Thuinuye Marma and Karanuching Marma, many drawn from the national U-17 and U-20 teams.

However, Nasrin could not retain several players from last season's league-winning squad, including Maria Manda, Monic Chakma, Ritu Porna Chakma, Shamsunnahar Sr, Sheuly Azim and Tahoura Khatun, due to the national women's team preparing for the upcoming AFC Women's Asian Cup in Australia.

However, national discards like Sabina Khatun, Masura Parven, Krishna Rani Sarkar and Sumaya Matsushima will not participate in the competition.