Bangladesh Under-19 Women’s national football team will start their 2024 international campaign with taking on Nepal in SAFF U-19 tournament today.
This time in the tournament four countries taking part with the hosts Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan.
In the four-nation championship will kick off at the Bir Shreshtho Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mustafa Kamal Stadium, Kamalapur at 3:00 p.m with India and Bhutan will play the first match.
Bangladesh team’s head coach Saiful Bari Titu and captain Afeida Khandaker desired to retain the title of the SAFF U-19 Women's Championship when they put across their opinion in across meet on Thrusday at the BFF Bhaban.
Bangladesh won the title of the tournament in the inaugural edition in Dhaka three years back, and although most of those players have already advanced to the senior team, the new team under a new coach and led by new captain are determined to retain the title.
The previous edition of the tournament was started with the match between the hosts Bangladesh and Nepal at the Birshreshtho Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium, and this time both sides will take on each other in the second match when India and Bhutan will play the opening match.
Saiful Bari Titu, who took the charges of Bangladesh National women’s team since the departure of Golam Rabbani Choton in May last year, informed that the 23-member squad features 14 players from the Under-17 level, five from the senior team, three from BKSP and one player was picked up from open trial.
“We should have the ambition and need to work hard to translate our determination with retaining the title,” coach Titu told the media at a press briefing at the BFF on Wednesday.
The veteran coach, who once did the duty with the national and youth football team, feels that the home environment and the round-the-year-training of the players will keep his side ahead of higher-ranked India and Nepal.
“These players may not have enough experiences and yet to get maturity in the international level like their predecessors, but they are physically fit to face the challenges,” Titu said.
“It is learning process for these young booters,” Titu added.
Captain Afeida Khandaker, one of the five players of the squad is experienced of playing for the senior national side said that they wanted to satisfy the crowd with success.
Afeida said, “Our target is to play in the final, and the first match will be very important in that regard. We have good players in every position. Hopefully we can make the fans happy.” The four-team tournament will end on February 8, top two teams after the round-robin stage will play in the final.