Women’s football team creates another new chapter

The success of women’s football is now a special topic of discussion among the country’s sports-loving community. The women footballers have ‘earned’ the admiration through their skill on the field. In the country’s football activities, women are far ahead, and therefore this attention is well-deserved. Women have come onto the football field and made the impossible possible. They have proved that on the national stage they are far ahead of the men footballers although they have been held back in the male-dominated sports arena in various ways.

The remarkable success of women in football is Bangladesh’s most positive ‘advertisement’. Women have been able to win the confidence of the football-loving public by playing with courage and determination. People can now believe that women footballers have the ability to take the country a long way forward; they just need protection and all-out support—and that must come from the state.

In women’s football, British coach Peter Butler has been able to bring forth the ‘ground-breaking’ great success—something that had never been done before. Peter wanted ‘high-intensity and high-press’ football from his players—and his disciples have delivered accordingly. The coach believes in ‘ability’ and ‘attitude’. In a long interview some days ago, Peter said, “The girls are always pushing me. These girls are the future of Bangladesh. Their mentality is truly ‘gold’. They know how to bring glory to the country. Now the government and the football federation need to stand by them. Assistance and investment in women’s football will not be wasted.”

The most notable aspect of women’s football is their passion and collective effort, the desire to give something to the country. Women are not only writing one new chapter after another in the nation’s football; they have also changed the pace and context of the game. The indomitable women, giving their best for success, have proved that they are far more responsible and committed when it comes to the nation’s honour in sports. They are the front-line soldiers in the battle for the dignity of sport.

Through their performances, women footballers have not only brought about a revolution in social and national life, but have opened a third eye also, giving rise to a new consciousness in sport. In the authoritarian male-dominated sports arena, women footballers have been victims of discrimination, neglect and disregard. Now they are the nation’s ‘face lifters’—symbols of hope, aspiration and dreams. Women footballers believe that within the light of football lies the light of their liberation. They have been able to set an example in bringing about important changes in the sporting mindset. They have changed the ‘plot’ of the story of football in the country.

For the first time, the Bangladesh women’s team have qualified to play in the final round of the Under-20 Women’s Asian Cup, held in Laos, by securing a place among the top three runners-up. The Bangladesh Under-20 team will play in the final round in Thailand next April with 12 other teams. Meanwhile, on July 2, the Bangladesh national women’s team qualified for the final round of the Asian Cup by defeating higher-ranked teams in Myanmar. The matches will be held in March 2026 in Australia.

We are now, for the first time, enjoying the most beautiful period in Bangladesh’s football, thanks to the indomitable women footballers. Within a year of last year’s student–public uprising, they have achieved four outstanding successes in international football—something we have never seen before. And the heroes of this success are our women footballers, who have given and given to the country and the nation; yet the nation has given them nothing for the development of their football, except fine words and assurances. Even so, the women continue to fight.

In their first match, Bangladesh beat higher-ranked hosts Laos 3–1, showing their team strength and courage. Then they defeated East Timor 8–0. In the final group match, against South Korea, Bangladesh took the lead but lost 6–1. No one ever expected the Bangladesh women’s team to leave the field victorious against the powerful Korean side. What was expected was that the women’s team would play confidently, with attacking and entertaining football. The players tried according to their ability. In every field, there is something called a ‘limitation’.

South Korea’s ranking is 21, Bangladesh’s is 104. The gap in strength is huge. In the match, the Koreans’ technical superiority and fitness were striking. Their football environment and modern facilities for football development are beyond our players’ imagination. In our women’s football, there is no structure at all. To put everything else aside, there is not even a separate ground for football practice. The girls do not receive regular monthly salaries. Prize money remains unpaid for months. They stay in residential camps in unhealthy conditions.

The quality of food is poor and not conducive to building strong physiques. There is no separate gymnasium for women. Therefore, there can be no comparison with South Korea. I can only say that for our women footballers, the match against South Korea was a learning experience. The way experienced British coach Peter Butler has, over the past year, motivated the women footballers and enabled them to harness their potential and achieve success is truly unique. The women players have been dedicated and loyal.

They have understood what the coach wanted from them and how he wanted it—and they have tried to give it their all. That is why women’s football has been able to shine consistently on the international stage. Our football continues without women, except for some tokenistic thinking. There is no practical initiative for advancing women in football and enhancing their capacity. This is truly disturbing. The women footballers who are repeatedly glorifying the nation through football, leading from the front in the arena, are themselves deprived of even the minimum facilities. This is the failure of the entire nation.

Ikramuzzaman: Columnist and analyst; former senior vice-president, AIPS Asia; lifetime member, Bangladesh Sports Press Association; and panel writer, Football Asia