We broke down after conceding first penalty, says Bangladesh U-20 captain Arpita

Bangladesh captain Arpita Biswas admitted her side lost composure after conceding from the spot as they let a two-goal lead slip in a 3-2 defeat to Thailand in their AFC Women’s U-20 Asian Cup opener on Wednesday.

“We tried to do well in the first half and we played well,” Arpita said after the match at Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani, before pointing to the decisive moment that shifted the game.

Bangladesh had looked in control after Mosammat Sagorika’s brace, but a couple of reckless tackles inside the box led to the hosts complete a remarkable turnaround inside a 10-minute spell starting in the 68th minute.

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Bangladesh blow two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Thailand

“We had taken a 2-0 lead, but after the first penalty our players broke down mentally, and then came the second penalty as well.”

Arpita framed the defeat as part of a learning curve for a side playing their first-ever match in the competition.

“This is a place for us to learn, and we are learning from here,” she said.

“Since this was our first match, we will try to correct the mistakes we made and aim to do better in the next game.”