Bangladesh Faces Defensive Test in Asian Cup

Bangladesh’s women’s national football team heads into the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup with a daunting challenge: conceding as few goals as possible. While domestic performances have shown promise—Rajshahi Stars’ goalkeeper Rupna Chakma kept a clean sheet in nine of ten league matches—the international stage tells a different story. In the team’s final four preparatory friendlies, Bangladesh failed to secure a single victory and conceded 11 goals, highlighting vulnerabilities in defence that could be costly against Asia’s elite sides.

The tournament, starting on 1 March in Australia, places Bangladesh in a group with formidable opponents: China, North Korea, and Uzbekistan. All three teams have demonstrated potent attacking form in their preparation, and history indicates that the Asian Cup often becomes a stage for goal-scoring feats.

In the last edition of the tournament held in India in 2022, China scored 11 goals across two group-stage matches while conceding none. Though North Korea and Uzbekistan did not participate in that edition, both nations are historically high-scoring sides.

Asian Cup Historical Performance

Internationally, Bangladesh faces a marked challenge. Across 75 matches against 24 nations, the team has scored 149 goals but also conceded exactly 149, reflecting the defensive inconsistencies that could prove problematic against higher-ranked Asian teams.

FIFA rankings further underline the gap: China (17th) and North Korea (9th) sit far ahead of Bangladesh (112th), while Uzbekistan ranks 49th. Experience and historical performance heavily favour Bangladesh’s group opponents, making defensive organisation crucial for the team’s first-ever Asian Cup campaign.

Bangladesh will face China on 3 March, North Korea on 6 March, and Uzbekistan on 9 March. Defender Shiuli Azim admitted, “We have never played against China or North Korea before. We know very little about their attacking play. While we cannot guarantee a win, we aim to cause surprises.”

Coach Peter Butler emphasises a defensive focus in preparation but acknowledges limitations in prior matches. He has experimented with a high-line defence against Thailand and Malaysia, yet whether that strategy can withstand Asia’s elite remains uncertain. Fellow defender Afida Khandakar adds, “We must focus on playing well, not just defence. At least we want to fight hard against them.”

Preparations have been hindered by logistical constraints. Planned overseas camps in Japan and the Philippines did not materialise, though the team held friendlies in Thailand and a tri-nation tournament in Dhaka. Despite 55 domestic league matches yielding 415 goals, the experience may not fully prepare Bangladesh for Asia’s top competition.

In short, the Bangladesh women’s team enters the Asian Cup with a clear priority: minimise goals conceded while competing against historically dominant opponents, setting the stage for a baptism by fire on their international debut.