Bangladesh make flying start in SAFF, thrash Bhutan 12-0

Bangladesh made a brilliant start to their title defence in the SAFF Under-19 Women’s Football Championship with a commanding victory. The defending champions crushed Bhutan 12-0 in the opening match of the tournament in Pokhara, Nepal, showcasing their dominance throughout the game. The team coached by Peter Butler completely dismantled Bhutan’s defence.

Despite playing attacking football from the beginning, Bangladesh took some time to score the first goal. Mamoni Chakma opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a curling left-footed shot from a corner. Although it was unclear from the replay whether the ball touched the Bhutan goalkeeper, it could be counted as an Olympic goal as it went directly into the net. Bangladesh took full control of the match after the goal and went into the break with a 3-0 lead after adding two more goals in the first half.

Bangladesh increased the intensity of their attacks in the second half. Continuous attacks left Bhutan’s defence in disarray as Alpi and Munkira led the charge. Bhutan were forced to change their goalkeeper after conceding the fifth goal, but it did not change the course of the match. Bangladesh scored their sixth goal in the 59th minute and added six more afterwards to complete a dominant victory.

In the four-team league-based tournament, Bangladesh’s remaining opponents are hosts Nepal and India. The two teams will face each other at 3:15pm, Bangladesh time, today. The top two teams in the points table will compete in the final on February 7.

Bangladesh’s dominance is also evident in SAFF Under-18, Under-19 and Under-20 level statistics. The team has won five out of the six tournaments held so far.