Women take on Myanmar today

Bangladesh will begin their campaign in the Women's Olympic Football tournament when they take on hosts Myanmar in a Group C encounter of the Asian Qualifiers Round-1 today.

The match will get underway at 5:30pm (BST) at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon after Nepal and India play the first match of the four-team group at the same venue.

Bangladesh have taken part in Women's Olympic Qualifiers only once in 2011 before skipping the next edition due to a shortage of players. However, Bangladesh have rebuilt their squad with some promising young girls who have been playing different age-group tournaments at the international level.

Those girls are now ready to embrace the challenge against Myanmar, who are ranked 44th in the Women's FIFA Rankings and are tipped as favourites to advance to the next stage.

Although the girls in red and green have set their sights on gathering experience from the more superior sides, they are also serious about improving their performance in the first match against Myanmar, a team Bangladesh have never faced at any level.

"Myanmar are a strong team but we will be trying to play our best by giving hundred per cent because we are going to play against Myanmar for the first time at any level," said captain Sabina Khatun.

"We have all young players while they have experience of playing international matches. It is a big platform for the girls from which we want to learn more by giving our best," said head coach Golam Rabbani Choton.