Before start of the Asian Games Nabiran ruled out
The 20th Asian Games will begin on September 19 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. But the football competition kicks off earlier.
The Bangladesh women’s football team will face North Korea in their opening match today.
North Korea is a familiar opponent for Bangladesh. They defeat Bangladesh 5-0 this March. Bangladesh will face two other opponents in Group F, South Korea and Myanmar.
The Bangladesh team have already suffered a major setback. Defender Nabiran Khatun has been ruled out due to injury before the Games even begin.
Nabiran sustained a severe knee injury during a warm-up match against the Chinese Women’s Super League side Guangdong FC on September 7. Due to the injury, she will no longer be available for the Asian Games.
Nabiran played for the Bangladesh Under-20 team from 2022 until February 2025. She earned a spot in the national team.
The center-back made his national team debut against the United Arab Emirates in March of last year. Nabiran became a key member of Bangladesh’s defense.
Her injury is forcing Head Coach Peter Butler to rethink the defensive lineup. The other four center-backs in the squad are Sheuli Azim, Afeida Khandaker, Kohati Kisku, and Arpita Biswas.
Among them, Kohati and Afeida can play in the starting XI against North Korea today.
The Bangladesh women’s football team are participating in the Asian Games for the second time.
They were eliminated in the group stage during the 2023 edition. Bangladesh have been drawn into a tough group; alongside North Korea, their opponents include South Korea and Myanmar.
Peter Butler said, “We are well aware that we are playing in a group featuring two of Asian football’s powerhouses-North Korea and South Korea. Even Myanmar are ranked higher than us.”
In the Games, the top two teams from each group will advance directly to the quarter-finals.
Additionally, the two best third-placed teams across the three groups will secure a spot in the last eight.
Bangladesh will face South Korea on September 17 and Myanmar on September 21 in their match of the group stage. All three matches will kick-off at 1:00pm (Bangladesh Standard Time).
