Girls show grit in narrow defeat
It started disappointingly for Bangladesh when they suffered a 9-0 defeat against North Korea in their opening fixture of the AFC U-16 Women's Championship in Chonburi, Thailand last week. But on Sunday they signed off with their heads held high despite the fact that they lost to Australia 3-2 in what was their last group league game.
The game at the Institute of Physical Education Stadium itself epitomized the struggle of some nondescript girls from remote villages, from where they started kicking a football barely six years ago. Playing against a team like Australia, who are ranked 100 places above, is itself an achievement. When our men's team hosted the Socceroos for the first the time in their home-leg World Cup qualifier last year, they lost the game 5-0 without a fight.
But these girls did not lose without a fight. They conceded a goal as early as the ninth minute with Australia's Laura Emily finding the net for the first time for her country in this championship. The Bangladesh girls suffered another blow when they were reduced to 10-women after captain Krishna Rani got the marching order in the 32nd minute.
It could have killed the game as a contest had that been any other Bangladesh football lineup against any decent team in the world. But these girls have grown up facing adversities in every conceivable way possible. They made a spectacular turnaround against let us say the future Matildas – the senior Australian women's team that beat their Brazilian counterparts 2-1 only a couple of days ago.
A ten-women Bangladesh restored parity in the 45th minute when Shopna was brought down by Cecillija Matic in the forbidden zone. Shamsunnahar converted from the spot as the Bangladesh girls headed for a satisfying lemon break. They returned to stun their fancied opponent with Monika Chakma presenting Bangladesh a 2-1 lead in the 51st minute, slotting home a rebounder from the top of the box. That goal marked an amazing turnaround, which is something beyond anybody's imagination.
They not only held their fort gallantly but showed the amazing ability of how to do battle in a game with the disadvantage of being one player short.
Australia eventually needed two late goals including a magnificent curling corner from Kyra Cooney-Cross, which sailed into the far corner of the net in the 78th minute, to save their blushes against a spirited Bangladesh team. Substitute Sofia Sakalish scored the winner in the 83rd minute, slotting home from a goal-mouth scramble.
The match turned into a dead rubber after both side's defeat against North Korea and Japan. Interestingly, both Bangladesh and Australia ended their scoring duck in the match after conceding 12 each in their previous games.
Australia might have won the game by the skin of their teeth, but it was certainly the Bangladesh girls who won hearts.
When Bangladesh qualified for the finals, they had been placed in a group that can be best described as good as world beaters in age-group level competitions. They suffered a stage-fright in their opening game against North Korea, but showed remarkable tenacity against Japan, who won 3-0. And after yesterday's 3-2 defeat against Australia they proved a point beyond debate that they have achieved more than what was expected in their first-ever top-flight venture.
It was not a fairly-tale ending by any means for coach Golam Rabbani Choton's girls, but it gave hope, a hope of something extraordinary if these girls play together for another four to five years.