Bangladesh captain Afeida Khandaker has called on her teammates to play with freedom and belief as the side prepare for their historic debut at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia.
Speaking at the Bangladesh Football Federation headquarters on Thursday, Afeida stressed that the team will not burden themselves with pressure despite the scale of the challenge ahead.
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup will run from 1 to 21 March across three cities in Australia. Bangladesh are drawn in Group B alongside nine-time champions China, three-time winners North Korea and Uzbekistan.
Bangladesh open their campaign against China on 3 March before facing North Korea and Uzbekistan in their remaining group matches.
To mark their first appearance at this level, Bangladesh must compete against some of Asia’s strongest sides. Afeida, however, believes the team can rise to the occasion.
“We are not taking the pressure of the Asian Cup in that way,” she said. “We will try to play our natural football on the pitch, just as we always do. Our opponents are very strong, but we are preparing accordingly. Inshallah, we will do something good.”
Bangladesh Football Federation women’s wing chairperson Mahfuza Akhter Kiron admitted that preparations could have been better, although she insisted efforts were made to arrange overseas training camps.
“I wouldn’t say I am disappointed, but with more and better training the team could have been stronger. There is definitely a gap,” she said.
Despite the shortcomings, Afeida sees positives. The recently concluded domestic Women’s Football League ensured players remained in competitive rhythm before departure.
While the opening two matches will test Bangladesh against heavyweight opposition, the captain indicated that the clash with Uzbekistan could be crucial.
“Our first two matches are against very strong teams, but we are hopeful of doing well against Uzbekistan,” she said.
The 26-player squad includes three new faces, among them Sweden-based midfielder Anika Rania Siddiqui. Afeida expressed confidence that Anika’s experience in Asian-level competitions will help her adapt quickly.
“Please keep us in your prayers so that we can return with pride and play our best football. We will definitely try to give our best,” the captain added.
