U-15s take on Bhutan today

Bangladesh will begin their SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship journey with a game against hosts Bhutan at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, with an eye on regaining the title they lost in the last edition at the same venue.

The Red and Greens lifted the title of the regional age-group competition by beating India 1-0 in the final in Dhaka in 2017, but relinquished the title to their neighbours last year following a 1-0 defeat in the final.

This time, with only four teams participating -- Maldives and Bhutan being the other two -- and the championship being held in a round robin format, the same two sides are expected to top the table for a final clash.

Bangladesh should be favourites for today’s match, having beaten Bhutan 3-0 in the group stage of the first edition before thrashing them 5-0 in semifinals last time around.

The championship will kick off with a game between India and Nepal at 3:00pm today while Bangladesh will square off against Bhutan at 6:00pm.

Bangladesh’s next match will be against Nepal on Friday and the last group match between Bangladesh and India will take place on Sunday. The final will be held on Tuesday.