Bangladesh head coach Peter Butler praised his players’ effort and resilience despite their 4-0 defeat to the Uzbekistan women’s national football team in their final Group B match of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 at Perth Rectangular Stadium on Monday.
The defeat brought Bangladesh’s historic debut campaign in the continental showpiece to an end, with the side finishing the tournament without a point.
Despite the heavy scoreline, Butler insisted the result did not truly reflect how the match unfolded, saying his side showed encouraging signs against a much higher-ranked opponent.
“I thought the scoreline was not a true reflection of how the game went,” Butler said after the match. “I thought we had long periods where we played the better football. But we're playing against a team that is 60 or 70 places higher than us in the FIFA rankings and physically stronger.”
The English coach acknowledged the gap in preparation and resources between Bangladesh and the more established Asian sides but praised his players for competing bravely on the big stage.
“Sometimes you feel like a boxer going into a fight with one arm tied behind your back,” he said. “So it's disappointing with the final result, but I've got nothing but praise for the girls. They've come a long way, especially when you're playing at the Asian Cup level and coming up against good, better-prepared teams.”
Butler also highlighted structural challenges back home, noting that Bangladesh still lacks proper training facilities compared to other competing nations.
“Physically and logistically, the other teams are far better prepared than we are,” he said. “The pitches here have been superb. We don’t even have a pitch – we don’t have a designated training ground in Bangladesh.”
Despite the setbacks, the coach expressed immense pride in his young squad and stressed that the experience would prove valuable for their future development.
“I have nothing but praise for the girls. I have a lot of respect for them. I’m very, very proud,” Butler said. “They are a young group of players – the average age is 19. We dominated possession at times but lacked the end product.”
Bangladesh had earlier suffered a 2-0 defeat to defending champions China PR before going down 5-0 to three-time champions North Korea.
Although the Tigresses ended their maiden Asian Cup campaign without a point, Butler believes the experience of facing stronger opposition will help the young side grow.
“We have a lot to learn,” he said. “We’ve played some really tough, higher-ranked teams.”