On the eve of Bangladesh’s historic first appearance at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, head coach Peter James Butler struck a calm and pragmatic note, urging his players to focus on laying the groundwork rather than chasing immediate glory.
True to his reputation for discipline and routine, Butler has kept preparations tight since arriving in Australia. At 9am on Saturday, he supervised a two-hour session at Jubilee Stadium, beginning with warm-ups before moving into structured passing drills, shooting practice and set-piece routines.
Goalkeeping coach Masud Ahmed Ujjal took charge of Rupna Chakma, Mili Akter and Swarna Rani Mondal in a separate session, with particular attention on two-time SAFF Women’s Championship winner Rupna. Newly appointed physio Isnard Jamkon also began working with the squad as Bangladesh fine-tuned their readiness.
Bangladesh will open their group-stage campaign against China on Tuesday at CommBank Stadium.
Despite the magnitude of the occasion for Bangladesh, the atmosphere in Sydney has been subdued. A visit to CommBank Stadium revealed only a limited promotional presence for the Women’s Asian Cup, with a handful of electronic boards displaying tournament branding while local organising committee staff distributed media accreditation cards.
The stadium surroundings were calm, the silence broken mainly by the calls of bats perched in the trees around the venue. Media access to the pitch was restricted, with security advising journalists to return on Monday.
Bangladesh have based themselves around 35 kilometres away at Jubilee Stadium. Forward Suravi Akand Preeti admitted her excitement at featuring in the competition for the first time, while Butler acknowledged the significance of guiding the country to its debut at this level.
However, the coach’s tone shifted when discussing preparation. Butler had previously voiced frustration over the lack of high-quality international friendlies against stronger opposition. He had hoped to test players such as Rituparna Chakma, Monika Chakma and Maria Manda against higher-ranked sides to better prepare them for the demands of continental competition.
The Bangladesh Football Federation were unable to arrange such fixtures, leaving the team short of the competitive exposure Butler had sought.
Bangladesh did at least manage one closed-door friendly in Sydney, drawing 1-1 with Western Sydney Wanderers. Prity described the performance as encouraging and insisted the squad would give everything in the tournament proper.
For Butler, though, the bigger picture matters most. “We are in Sydney to play in the Asian Cup at a level Bangladesh have never competed at before. Just being here is a huge achievement,” he said. “Whatever the results, we want to give our best. Let’s build the foundation over the next four years to help Bangladesh qualify again for AFC competitions. We must learn that preparation is everything.”
