Bangladesh will be out to defend their title when the South Asian Football Federation Under-19 Women’s Championship starts in Dhaka Friday with the home side taking on Nepal in Kamalapur’s Birshreshtha Shaheed Sipahi Mostafa Kamal Stadium.
On the same day, India and Bhutan will do battle in the opening clash of the four-team tournament’s second edition.
The hosts will face India Sunday and Bhutan two days later before the top two teams of the league phase contest the final, scheduled for February 8.
The Bangladesh squad comprises five national players from the senior women’s team in captain Afeida Akter, vice captain Shopna Rani, Shorna Rani Mondol, Eti Khatun and Surma Jannat and three footballers from Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishthan in Bonya Khatun, Lutfa Akter Lima and Nobiron Khatun.
Bangladesh women’s team head coach Saiful Bari Titu will guide the young girls in red and green who are mostly represented by members of the U-17 side, as many as 14.