Bangladesh are the defending champion at the SAFF Women's Championship, after clinching their maiden title in 2022.[2] They also went on to win the championship again in 2024 after defeating Nepal in the finals.[3] They also secured a bronze medal in the South Asian Federation Games 2010 and a silver medal at the SAFF Women's Championship 2016.[4]
History
Origins (2007–2012)
Women's football was introduced in Bangladesh when the nations first ever football tournament dedicated to women was staged under the Vision Asia programme in November 2007. Eight teams from different districts all over the country took part in the tournament.[5] The tournaments success, lead to the Bangladesh Football Federation, organizing the 2008 Women's school football tournament, under the Vision Bangladesh programme. The National Football Championship for women was introduced the subsequent year, for different district teams to take part in. While in 2009, Golam Robbani Choton a veteran in the Dhaka football scene, was put in charge of the inactive women's national team. However, the Bangladesh women's team was continuously neglected throughout the late 2000s.
Bangladesh played their first international game in 29 January 2010 against Nepal, during the 2010 South Asian Games,[6] held in Dhaka, losing 1–0. The team impressed in the following fixtures, pulling of two successive victories against, Sri Lanka, and then Pakistan respectively. Although they suffered a 0–7 defeat at the hands of India during their last group stage game, Bangladesh secured the bronze medal. The team proceeded to take part in the, 2010 SAFF Women's Championship later on that year, which was played on home soil, but this time in Cox's Bazar. They won significantly against Bhutan and Sri Lanka (2–0 and 9–0), however they were defeated by Nepal in the semifinals.
It was in 2011, when the football federation decided to launch the Bangladesh Women's Football League. The national team was active the following year, taking part in the 2012 SAFF Championship. They lost to India and Sri Lanka, attaining their sole victory against Bhutan, 1–0 thanks to a goal from captain Pru Suinu. Nonetheless, the team failed to advance past the group stages.
Emergence (2013–2020)
After 2012 SAFF Women's Championship, BFF started to make a structure for women's team. On the other hand, government started Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Gold Cup Football Tournament from 2011, where a number of footballers from all-over the country showcased their football playing skill on a yearly basis, strengthening the national team's pipeline of talents. In October 2014, Norio Tsukitate was appointed as the team's first foreign head coach. Bangladesh team management started almost a year-long camp for 2014 SAFF Women's Championship, and Bangladesh team won two of there three Group matches and, reached the semi-finals where Bangladesh lost against Nepal by 1–0. After the tournament concluded Golam Robbani Choton returned to head coach duty.[7]
Bangladesh won their all three group matches having defeated Maldives by 3–0, Pakistan by 6–0 and India by 3–0, reached Semi-finals as unbeaten group champion.[11][12][13] In the semi-finals having defeated Bhutan by 8–0 and reached the Final.[14] Bangladesh faced Nepal in the final where, Bangladesh clinched their maiden SAFF Women's Championship title with a 3–1 victory over Nepal in an entertaining final at the Dasharath Rangasala in Kathmandu on 19 September 2022.[15][16][17][18]
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus meet with Bangladesh women football team that won the 2024 SAFF Women's Championship
Team image
Colours
The Bangladesh national football team plays in bottle green shirts and dark red shorts embedded. Also with red and green stripes. Green and red are the historic national colours of Bangladesh, originating from the national flag of Bangladesh. The red represents the sun rising over Bengal, and also the blood of those who died for the independence of Bangladesh. The green stands for the lushness of the land of Bangladesh. The current Bangladesh away jersey is completely diametric to the regular one.
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