Despite captaining Bangladesh to the SAFF Women’s Championship title 2024, Sabina Khatun has not featured for the national football team since, following a public dispute with then coach Peter Butler. However, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has now handed her another major responsibility, naming her captain of the women’s futsal preliminary squad for the upcoming SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship.
The inaugural SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship will be held in Thailand from 3 to 25 January 2026, with matches played in Bangkok. Bangladesh will compete alongside India, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with all seven teams facing each other in a round-robin league format, and the side finishing top crowned champions.
The Bangladesh women’s futsal camp is being conducted under men’s team coach Syed Khodarahmi, and the 18-member preliminary squad includes several players who have been out of favour with the national football team in recent months. Alongside Sabina, the squad features Masura Parvin, Krishna Rani Sarkar and Matsushima Sumaiya, all of whom were among the footballers who protested against Butler and last represented Bangladesh during last year’s SAFF Women’s Championship triumph.
The squad also includes a number of former national players, such as Nilufa Yasmin, Marjia, Misrat Jahan Mousumi, Lipi Akter and Unnati Khatun, underlining BFF’s intent to field an experienced side in the regional futsal competition.
Bangladesh preliminary squad for SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship:
Sabina Khatun (captain), Matsushima Sumaiya, Masura Parvin, Krishna Rani Sarkar, Lipi Akter, Unnati Khatun, Mehenur Akter, Ratri Mani, Sumi Khatun, Naushan Jahan, Nilufa Yasmin, Misrat Jahan Mousumi, Marjia, Nasrin Akter, Shejuti Islam Smriti, Sathi Biswas, Iti Rani, Swapna Akter Jili.
