Women in search of a respectable finish

The Bangladesh women's football team will want to regain some respectability when they end their horrific campaign in the 2020 Olympic Qualifiers (Round-1) with the last game of Group C against Nepal in Yangon today.

Golam Rabbani Choton's charges have conceded a grand total of 12 goals against one scored in the two matches against Myanmar and India, and they can expect more of the same against Nepal. With two defeats in two matches, Bangladesh are at the bottom of the group while Nepal are in third position, having forced 1-1 draws against both India and Myanmar.

This campaign has come as an eye-opener for the team management as they have gone with a team comprised mostly of under-18 and under-16 players, who were no match for the seasoned campaigners of the opposition teams.

According to a message from the team in Yangon, the Bangladesh think-tank has realised that these girls are not ready for this level of competition, yet they are looking forward to the continued work over the next few years. The coach commented, according to the message, that they need to be patient and continue to expose these players to these experiences.

While qualification from this group is a three-horse race between the three other teams, Bangladesh would ideally like to salvage some pride against a side they have never beaten before.