Bangladesh start SAFF U-17 Women’s Championship with win over Bhutan

Bangladesh made a brilliant start in the SAFF U-17 Women’s Championship, defeating hosts Bhutan 3-1 in the opening match. Suravi Akand Preeti scored one goal for the team, while Alpi Akter netted a brace.

Bangladesh took a 1-0 lead in the first half during the final moments. A long-range attack from midfield was blocked by the Bhutanese goalkeeper, but the ball deflected off the goalkeeper and a defender, hitting Suravi Akand Preeti before going into the net, giving Bangladesh a somewhat fortunate lead.

After halftime, the Bangladeshi team intensified their attacks. In the 53rd minute, Alpi Akter scored from a powerful long-range shot outside the box, extending the lead to 2-0. Bhutan quickly responded with a goal, adding excitement back into the match.

Bangladesh sealed the victory in the 64th minute with another goal from Alpi Akter, who pushed the ball into the net from a scramble following a left-side corner kick. Despite creating several more scoring chances, the Bhutanese defenders cleared the ball from the goal line multiple times.

Bangladesh women’s football has been showing consistent success recently. The senior team qualified for the Asia Cup in July, and in the same month, the U-20 team won the SAFF Championship and later secured a spot in the Asia Cup. Now, the U-17 girls have made an excellent start in their SAFF Championship campaign by defeating hosts Bhutan in their opening match.