Golden girls return to action
The batch that began Bangladesh women's football team's spectacular journey is all set to return to business at the international level through the inaugural SAFF U-18 Women's Championship to be held in Thimphu from September 28.
The girls will leave for the six-team tournament in Bhutan on Wednesday. Bangladesh are set to open their campaign against Pakistan on September 30 before they take on Nepal on October 2 in the final group match.
Players such as Krishna Rani Sarker, Sanjida Akhter, Masura Parvin, Mishrat Jahan Mousumi and Sirat Jahan Swapna, who catapulted Bangladesh women's football to power, have been away from the international stage since the final round of the AFC U-16 Women's Championship in Thailand last September.
However, they remained in action in the domestic circuit alongside the current under-16 women's team, who are currently playing in the AFC U-16 Women's Championship Qualifiers.
Although these girls guided the Bangladesh senior team to a runners-up finish for the first time in the SAFF Women's Championship in 2016, they want to take it one match at a time and reach the final of the upcoming tournament in Bhutan.
The tournament was basically introduced as a preparatory meet for South Asian teams ahead of the AFC U-19 Women's Championship Qualifiers.
The U-18 team will also feature 13 players, including Maria Manda, Monica Chakma, Akhi Khatun and Anai Mogini, who are participating in the AFC U-16 Women's Championship Qualifiers.
“These girls have been together for a long three years and have a good understanding among them. Even if they haven't played international matches, they play three to four games each week against the under-16 girls team. So I am hopeful that the girls will produce good results,” said head coach Golam Rabbani Choton.
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