Sports Reporter:
Bangladesh Under-20 Women’s Football team reached the final round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-20 Women’s Asian Cup as they became one of the best runners-up among the eight groups of the AFC Under-20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers on Sunday. The eight champions of the respective eight groups got tickets of the final round, while Bangladesh and more two best runners-up teams also earned the place in the final round. Besides, hosts Thailand will play in the final round directly. Bangladesh collected six points from three matches and became Group-H runners-up. Besides, they have a better goal difference. Thus they took place among the three best runners-up teams of the AFC Under-20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers.
Bangladesh lost to stronger South Africa 6-1 in their last Group-H match at the Laos New National Stadium in Laos on Sunday. Bangladesh scored the first goal but they failed to keep the lead.
UNB adds: For 15 minutes, it looked like Bangladesh’s Under-20 women were on course for a bit of history, but in the end, they suffered a big defeat.
They only needed a draw to top their group and book a first-ever ticket to the under-20 Asian Cup finals. Trishna Rani even gave them the perfect start in Vientiane, turning in Shanti Mardi’s cross to make it 1-0.
That was the high point. South Korea equalised five minutes later through Lee Hyun, punishing a messy defensive moment.
From there, Bangladesh hung on gamely until the break, but the second half turned into a collapse.
The Koreans went ahead in the 48th minute, and by the hour mark their captain, Chu Hye Yong, had made it 3-1. Bangladesh’s midfield kept coughing up possession, the back line kept getting pulled apart, and the last half-hour was one-way traffic.
Hye Yong added a penalty late on, Lee Hyun got her second, and Jin Herin’s stoppage-time strike sealed a 6-1 rout.
