‘Climbing five spots in rankings a big achievement’

Bangladesh made a significant stride in the latest FIFA Women's World Rankings by climbing five spots to 128th place -- a timely morale boost ahead of the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers, scheduled for June 29 to July 5 in Myanmar.

Climbing up the ladder was possible due to two creditable draws against higher-ranked sides -- Jordan and Indonesia -- in the recent FIFA friendlies in Jordan, where Bangladesh held 94th-ranked Indonesia to a goalless draw before coming from behind twice in a 2-2 draw against Jordan.

FIFA yesterday disclosed the latest women's FIFA ranking, and it came as big news for the charges of Peter Butler, as the women in red and green crossed the 130-mark ranking for the first time in six years.

Bangladesh midfielder Monika Chakma in action against Jordan at King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman on June 3, 2025. Photo: Jordan women's football

"It is a big achievement for us because we have come to this stage after working hard over the last six years, and climbing five places is very important for us because it will have a positive impact on the team ahead of the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers," said captain Afeida Khandokar.

Afeida and Co. resumed preparations for the Asian Cup Qualifiers on Monday following a two-day Eid-ul-Adha break, as only a few girls traveled to their respective homes while the majority of the players in the camp stayed at the BFF dormitory after returning from Jordan on June 5.

Butler has been conducting training with nearly 45 players, as four senior players -- Monika Chakma, Maria Manda, Ritu Porna Chakma, and Shamsunnahar Jr -- flew out from Dhaka to Bhutan on Eid Day to join their respective clubs in the ongoing Bhutan Women's National League. However, goalkeeper Rupna Chakma stayed back home as she had no fixtures in the Bhutan league in the coming days.

All four players are expected to rejoin the camp on June 16, as the national women's football team is scheduled to leave for Myanmar on June 27, two days before the start of Group C matches featuring hosts Myanmar, Bahrain, Bangladesh, and Turkmenistan.

"We believe we can do something better in the Asian Cup Qualifiers on the back of our preparation. We are hoping to produce good results against Bahrain and Turkmenistan and trying our level best against Myanmar, who are much ahead of us," said Afeida.

Though Bangladesh progressed five spots, other South Asian nations either fell or remained in their previous positions.

India fell one spot to 70th following two defeats against Uzbekistan. Nepal followed suit, slipping one place to 100th after a loss to Thailand, and Sri Lanka also dropped one place to 159th after losing a match to Saudi Arabia.

Bhutan, despite two successive draws against Hong Kong, remained in 171st position, while Pakistan and the Maldives, who did not play a single match, also retained their previous positions of 159 and 163, respectively. The top three places in the FIFA Women's World Ranking remained unchanged, with the USA leading the table, followed by Spain and Germany.