Girls eye SAFF U-20 title

Bangladesh had once been an intimidating force in the age-group women's football competitions in the South Asian region following the emergence of several talented players, who delivered the maiden trophy of SAFF Women's Championship last year after winning the titles of SAFF U-18 and U-19 Women's Championship in 2018 and 2021, respectively.

With all those players having risen up in ranks to represent the senior women's team, the upcoming crop of players are eager to scale the heights set by their seniors. Bangladesh U-20 women's football team, thus, have kept their sights on bagging the trophy of upcoming SAFF Women's Championship, beginning from February 3 at Kamnalapur's Birshreshtha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium.

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"Our preparation has been good for the last one month. Besides, we have also played two international tournaments. So, we are looking forward to give our best in the [SAFF] Championship in front of a home crowd," said Bangladesh captain Shamsunnahar at an official press conference at the BFF House yesterday.

"As we have been together for a long time, we have good understanding among us. We are also hopeful to deliver something good by lifting the trophy at home," said Shamsunnahar, who also plays as a striker for the senior women's team and will have national goalkeeper Rupna Chakma as company in the U-20 squad.

Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Bhutan will initially play the round-robin league matches before the top two teams advance to the final, slated for February 9.

Head coach Golam Rabbani Choton reckons his charges are in good shape ahead of the tournament.

"The good thing was that all of the players have been in the Women's Football league before coming into the training camp, which began on January 1. Since then, they have been working hard to put up a good performance. I think they are ready for the Championship," said Choton, adding their opponents would be tough as they performed well during the SAFF U-18 Women's Championship held in India's Jamshedpur in March last year.

"However, we are going to take part in the tournament as favourites, as we had been before. Our target is to win the tournament," he added.

Despite securing nine points alongside the eventual champions India in the 2022 SAFF U-18 Women's Championship, Bangladesh had to be satisfied with a second-place finish on virtue of goal difference.

Mahfuza Akhtar Kiron, the chairman of BFF women's committee, and BFF vice-president Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan Manik hoped the girls in red and green would be able to progress match by match and triumph like how the senior team did in Nepal last year.