Bangladesh’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaign closed in Perth on Monday night when Uzbekistan defeated Peter Butler’s side in the final Group B match. The defeat completed three straight losses and forced an early return home for the tournament debutants.
The squad wasted little time packing. Players boarded a Thai Airways flight at 9:30am Perth time on Tuesday and headed for Bangkok. A short stopover awaits there before the team continues to Dhaka, with arrival scheduled around midnight Bangladesh time.
The itinerary tells its own story. Victory against Uzbekistan would have kept Bangladesh in Australia for another tense day. Instead of boarding a return flight, Butler’s squad would have watched Tuesday’s Group C matches, Japan vs Vietnam and Chinese Taipei against India hoping results opened a path into the quarter-finals as one of the best third-placed teams.
The Asian Cup still delivered valuable exposure for a remarkably young squad. Several players in the group remain under twenty, a detail that shapes the team’s next assignment.
Many of them will head straight into preparation for the AFC U-20 Women’s tournament in Thailand, which begins on 1 April. Training resumes almost immediately after the team lands in Dhaka.
Peter Butler oversees that youth side as well, which tightens the schedule further. The coach plans a short trip to England within the next week. That travel could complicate preparation if sessions lose direction during his absence.
