Bangladesh women’s football team advanced to the grand finale of the Saff Championship for the second time in history after thumping hapless Bhutan 8-0 in the first semi-final in Kathmandu Friday.
Captain Sabina Khatun scored her second hat-trick in this year’s competition after her first against Pakistan, while Sirat Jahan Shopna, Rituporna Chakma, Srimoti Krishna Rani Sarkar, Masura Parvin and Tahura Khatun netted one apiece.
High flying Bengal Tigresses will either face five-time champions India or hosts Nepal, who take on each other later Friday, in Monday’s final.
Playing their first ever semi-final in the sixth edition of the regional competition, 176th ranked Bhutan were no match for 147th placed Bangladesh who are on a four-match winning streak.
The Himalayan nation are yet to score a goal, let alone draw or win, against Bangladesh in past meetings between the two sides in the Saff Championship.
The women in red and green are also yet to concede a goal in this tournament after outclassing the Maldives 3-0, Pakistan 6-0 and India 3-0 in the group stage.
Golam Rabbani Choton’s charges went into the first half break leading 4-0 and added four more after resumption as they bid to lift the crown for the maiden time after heartbreak in the 2016 final against India.
Bangladesh took the lead in just the second minute of the game when Shopna received a through pass from Monika Chakma and dribbled past goalkeeper Sanjeeda before finding the back of the net for her fourth goal in this edition.
Sabina doubled the lead in the 17th minute from a Maria Manda cross.
Monika was provider once again at the half hour mark as Krishna Rani headed home from her cross to triple the lead.
Monika was at it again five minutes later when her through pass was only parried away by the Bhutan goalkeeper towards Rituporna who made no mistake placing home with her left foot.
With one eye on the final, Choton decided to bench Monika, Maria, Sheuli Azim and Krishna Rani in the second half and brought on Tahura Khatun, Shamsunnahar Jr, Nilufar Yasmin and Shopna Rani but Bangladesh still persisted in their pursuit of extending the scoreline.
Sabina made it 5-0 in the 53rd minute from a Sanjida Akter pass while it was half a dozen only three minutes later when Masura stroked home after Sanjeeda failed to gather the Bangladesh skipper’s free-kick from outside the box.
Diminutive forward Tahura grabbed Bangladesh’s seventh in the 87th minute before Sabina completed her treble, and the rout, in time added on.
Sabina, who has 32 goals for Bangladesh including eight against Bhutan, is now the tournament's top-scorer with eight goals.
Bangladesh XI: Rupna Chakma, Akhi Khatun, Sheuli Azim (Nilufar Yasmin), Masura Parvin, Maria Manda (Shopna Rani), Monika Chakma (Shamsunnahar Jr), Sanjida Akter, Shamsunnahar, Srimoti Krishna Rani Sarkar (Tahura Khatun), Sirat Jahan Shopna (Rituporna Chakma), Sabina Khatun
