Bangladesh Women football team captain Sabina Khatun dedicated the SAFF Women's Championship title to the people of Bangladesh after they became champion by beating hosts Nepal 3-1 in the final at the Dasarath Rangasala in Kathmandu on Monday.
"Finally, it ended our long 12-13 years' waiting. All the people of Bangladesh prayed for us and they way they have prayed, it was amazing. I even saw many people tag me in on social media last night, asking us to bring the title home. So, this trophy belongs to the whole nation and the people of Bangladesh," Sabina told the media during the post-match press conference in Kathmandu on Monday.
Scorer of 32 international goals, Sabina was in imperious form throughout the tournament and it rubbed off on her teammates who only conceded once and scored 23 en route to the title win.
The Bangladesh captain was in her elements, scoring eight goals, including two hat-tricks, to not only finish as the highest scorer but also the competition’s Most Valuable Player.
The 28-year old bagged a brace against Maldives in the opening game before scoring a hat-trick against Pakistan, and repeating the feat against Bhutan in the semi-final
"We have also won the Fairplay award. And I have won the top-scorer award and the most valuable player award. So, it is a big achievement for me aside from winning the title. I think this is the best day of my life," Sabina concluded.