Bangladesh women’s football team have officially qualified for the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in history following two stunning victories in the Group C qualifiers and a favourable result in the other group match.
They began their campaign with a commanding 7-0 win over Bahrain, followed by a thrilling 2-1 victory against hosts Myanmar Wednesday.
Head coach Peter Butler spoke shortly after the win over Myanmar - before the final confirmation of qualification, as the Bahrain v Turkmenistan match was still ongoing.
Despite not yet knowing the other result, Butler urged his players to remain humble and focused.
“The most important thing is to show humility. We have to stay humble because the job is half finished. We haven’t completed it yet,” said Butler in the post-match press briefing.
He emphasized the need to respect their next opponent, Turkmenistan, with one final group fixture remaining.
“We’ve got to show respect to our next opponent,” he said.
“We have one match left. If we can perform well in that match, then we can definitely celebrate.”
Reflecting on the Myanmar match, Butler admitted it was far from a "pretty football match" but praised his team’s resilience and preparation.
“Myanmar have some very good technical players and defended extremely well,” he added.
Winger Ritu Porna Chakma shone once again with a dazzling brace to seal the win.
Butler heaped praise on her.
“I hope she moves on to something even better because she is truly outstanding,” he said.
Ritu Porna, named Player of the Match, shared her thoughts: “We came here with a target - to win match by match. We tried to give our best performance, and we did it.”
About two hours later, the 2-2 draw between Bahrain and Turkmenistan secured Bangladesh’s historic spot in the Asian Cup thanks to the head-to-head rule and goal difference.
Bangladesh now look ahead to their final group game with confidence, ready to cement their place among Asia’s elite.
