Bangladesh women’s football team suffered a 3–0 defeat to Thailand in Bangkok in the first of two international friendlies arranged as part of their Asian Cup preparations. However, the result was overshadowed by head coach Peter Butler’s furious reaction to what he described as a lack of discipline and focus among some of his players.
In a video message released by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), the British coach criticised the players’ mentality, saying several had taken the field with the wrong attitude. “Anyone who wants to represent their country must have the right mindset. I will not tolerate players who lack focus or respect for the national team,” he said.
Bangladesh conceded once in the first half and twice after the break. At halftime, Butler replaced Tohura and Munki with Sagarika and Ripa, and made four more substitutions in the 70th minute, bringing on Halima, Zaynab Bibi, Nabiron and Shikha for Afida, Rituparna, Shamsunnahar and Shiuli Azim. He later hinted that senior players had failed to show commitment, adding that he preferred working with “those who may not be big names but have the right mentality.”
The coach’s frustration appeared to revive tensions that had been simmering since earlier this year when 18 players protested his leadership, including several who started against Thailand, among them Rituparna Chakma, Monika Chakma, Rupna Chakma, Tohura Khatun and Maria Manda. Butler excluded veterans such as Sabina Khatun, Krishna Rani Sarkar, Masura Parvin and Sanjida Akhter from his current squad, despite their experience in the Bhutan League.
He also expressed displeasure with the match arrangements, questioning the quality of a fixture classified by FIFA as a Tier 1 international. “I’m not sure this can really be called a Tier 1 friendly. We played on a university ground with inadequate lighting,” Butler said, referring to the Thonburi University Stadium in Bangkok.
Despite the defeat, he insisted there were positives, particularly in giving chances to younger players like Shikha, Nabiron, Zaynab, Sagarika, Munki, Ripa and Halima. “The match felt more like a development fixture than a full international. When arranging such games in the future, we need to be more careful,” Butler remarked.
Bangladesh will participate in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup for the first time next year. Among the 12 teams competing, the top eight will qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Yet while the Bangladesh Football Federation has been preparing for this historic campaign, Butler’s latest comments have reignited concerns about division within the squad.
