The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) on Wednesday announced a 23-member squad for the upcoming SAFF Women’s Championship, scheduled to begin in India later this month.
Head coach Peter Butler has made several changes to the squad that represented Bangladesh at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia last March, trimming the previous 26-member group.
Two new faces — defender Arpita Biswas and midfielder Momita Khatun — have earned call-ups, while a number of experienced players have been left out. From the Asian Cup squad, Sapna Rani, Munki Akter, Alpi Akter, Airin Khatun and Most Sultana were omitted.
Nabiran Khatun has also been ruled out due to an ACL injury. Defender Surma Jannat has been included as her replacement. Bangladesh women’s U-20 captain Arpita and midfielder Momita have also been drafted into the squad as part of Butler’s rebuilding plans.
The squad was unveiled at a press conference at the BFF House on Wednesday in the presence of Butler and team captain Afeida Khandaker.
The tournament will kick off on May 25. Bangladesh, champions in the last two editions, will be aiming to defend their title. The previous three editions of the SAFF Women’s Championship were held in Nepal.
Butler acknowledged that defending the crown in India will present a tougher challenge but expressed confidence in his side’s preparation and ambition.
As part of their build-up, the team will hold a 15-day training camp in Thailand, departing for Bangkok on Thursday. The women in red and green are scheduled to play two practice matches there before flying to the host city, Goa, on May 21.
Bangladesh will begin their campaign against Maldives on May 28 and then face five-time champions India on May 31.