BD face off Nepal today
Today’s semi-final match for Bangladesh Women’s Football team in the SAFF Women’s Championship has turned into an unwritten final.
The opponent team are stronger Nepal Women’s Football team, against whom recent history is in favour of Bangladesh, but the current reality presents a different picture.
Despite various adversities, lackluster performance and an atmosphere of mourning within the team, the red-green representatives are taking to the field today with the goal of reaching the final.
The match will start at 4:30pm (Bangladesh Standard Time) at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa of India.
Private satellite sports channel T Sports will telecast the match live.
The Bangladesh Women’s Football team won the SAFF title in the last two editions by defeating Nepal Women’s Football team.
Especially, with the emphatic victory over Nepal in the final, the successors of Sabina Khatun established their superiority in South Asian Women’s football.
Although that memory has boosted Bangladesh’s confidence, the team looks somewhat unfamiliar in this edition.
Although Bangladesh started the tournament with the goal of a hat-trick of titles, they could not maintain that consistency in their performance on the field.
Despite a good start by beating Maldives 4-2 in the group stage, they had to endure a bitter experience of losing 3-0 to India.
The defeat to India after seven years was a big blow for Bangladesh.
Not only the result, but the team’s play throughout the match was rhythm less and unplanned.
There was a clear lack of effective coordination in the attack, and there was a lack of creativity in the midfield as well.
Afeida Khandaker, Maria Manda and Ritu Porna Chakma, are not at their best. Especially, in the formation of the attack and creating chances, the consistency that was expected from them has not yet been seen.
As a result, the biggest challenge before the coaching staff has become to restore the confidence of the players and reorganize the team.
Meanwhile, a shadow of grief has descended on the Bangladesh camp. Basna Azim, the mother of the team’s midfielder Sheuli Azim, passed away early in the last morning.
This news has deeply shaken the entire team. Teammates are standing by Sheuli and trying to support her mentally during this difficult time.
A mixture of emotions and responsibility is now visible within the team. However, Sheuli Azim could not attend her mother’s funeral.
Because it took a long time to travel from Goa to Mymensingh via Dhaka due to flight complications. So Sheuli could not attend her mother’s funeral.
Not only that, she did a light warm-up with the team on the beach near the hotel in the last afternoon amidst the atmosphere of mourning.
Meanwhile, Nepal will also play to avenge their defeat in the last two finals. Naturally, they do not see Bangladesh as easy opponent.
Nepal are also looking at this match as an opportunity to avenge their defeat in the past two finals.
The Himalayan country’s Coach Naveen Newpani said, ‘We are ready. We have learned from some mistakes last time and will enter the field with the aim of achieving good results this time.
We are positive as a team and will try to give our best.’ His statement about Bangladesh, ‘Bangladesh is a very strong team.
They have done well in recent tournaments. It will be difficult to play against them. But we want to play according to our plan.
“Newpani admits that the fight will be tough, ‘We are playing well and are confident.
But the game on the field will have the final say. Bangladesh is also a strong opponent and they can give us a tough fight.”
According to Gorkhali sources, Preeti Rai flown to Goa from Nepal early Tuesday morning to strengthen the midfield.
All in all, the excitement surrounding today’s semi-final is high.
History, revenge, grief and the dream of the title – all of this combined has made the match one of the most important battles in SAFF Women’s Championship.
Now it remains to be seen whether Bangladesh can overcome the odds and make it to the final stage again.
