SAFF Women's Championship: Our first target is last four: Rabbani

Sabbir Hossain :
Head Coach of Bangladesh National Women’s Football team Golam Rabbani Chatan said, “Our first target is to play last four in the SAFF Women’s Championship and then to clinch the title.”
He made this comment while talking to this reporter during the practice session of the Bangladesh National Women’s Football team at the Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur.
Rabbani said, “We are in the tough group with India as one of the hot favourites.”
He said, “There are 34 booters in my training camp. Most of them have been picked up from the Under-16 Football team, which became champions in the recently concluded AFC Under-16 Football Qualifiers. The Team have qualified for the final round of the competition. I have chosen six players from the Bangladesh National Women’s Football team.”
“Our female footballers have been playing for eight to 10 years. On the other hand, Indian female footballers have been playing for 40 to 50 years.” He said, adding that before taking part in the competition, my girls will play some practice matches, dates whereof have not yet been finalized.”
He said, “My key players are Sabina, Krishna, Sanjida, Marjia, Mainu Marma and Maria.”
A total of seven teams splitting into two groups will take part in the SAFF Women’s Championship, which is scheduled to be held in Shiliguri of India from December 26 to January 4.
Bangladesh, India and Afghanistan are in Group-B, while Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan are in Group-A.
Bangladesh will take on Afghanistan in their first Group-B match on December 29 and India on December 31.
The Group-A champions will take on the Group-B runners-up in the first semi-final on January 2, while the champions of the Group-B will meet the runners-up of the Group-A in the second semi-final the same day.
The winners of the two semi-finals will face each other in the final on January 4.