Rajshahi Stars Seal Title

Rajshahi Stars completed a fairytale debut in the Women’s Football League by securing the championship with a commanding 3–0 victory over Bangladesh Army in the final round. Entering the decisive fixture, the newly formed club from Rajshahi required only a single point to clinch the title, while Bangladesh Army needed an outright win to force the contest into a play-off. The contrasting pressures shaped a cautious opening, with both sides prioritising defensive structure in a goalless first half at the Bir Sreshtho Shaheed Sepahi Mostofa Kamal Stadium. After the interval, however, Rajshahi Stars asserted their superiority and turned control into goals, underlining a season of remarkable consistency.

The breakthrough arrived in the 48th minute when Suravi Akand Priti delivered a precise low cross across the face of goal. The goalkeeper’s dive failed to intercept the ball, allowing Alpi Akter to apply a simple finish into an unguarded net. The strike took Alpi’s season tally to 30 goals, consolidating her status as the league’s leading scorer and moving her clear of Farashganj Sporting Club’s Shamsun Nahar Junior, who finished on 24. Ten minutes later, Shaheda Akter Ripa doubled the lead with a crisp volley from a Rituparna Chakma cross, before Rituparna herself sealed the title four minutes from time with a composed finish that reflected Rajshahi’s composure under pressure. The final match also carried personal milestones: both Ripa and Rituparna reached double figures for the season, each finishing on ten goals.

What elevates Rajshahi Stars’ triumph from impressive to extraordinary is the statistical perfection of their campaign. Competing in the league for the first time, they won all ten of their matches, kept a clean sheet in every fixture, and scored 90 goals without conceding a single one—an average of nine goals per match. Such dominance is rare in any domestic competition and speaks to a balanced squad that combined an impenetrable defence with ruthless attacking efficiency. Their title run began with a statement 12–0 demolition of the previous season’s champions, Nasrin Sports Academy, and continued with emphatic victories over BKSP (4–0), Bangladesh Police (7–0), Bangladesh Ansar (8–0), Jamalpur Kacharipara XI (24–0), Dhaka Rangers (10–0), Farashganj Sporting Club (1–0), Siraj Smriti Sangsad (13–0) and Sadyapukarani (8–0).

Farashganj Sporting Club finished as runners-up, suffering only one defeat in ten matches—the narrow 1–0 loss to the champions—while Bangladesh Army settled for third place after their final-day defeat. Beyond domestic glory, Rajshahi Stars’ title carries broader significance. The champions have earned qualification for the AFC Women’s Champions League and the SAFF Club Championship, opportunities that were previously limited for Bangladeshi clubs owing to structural constraints in league recognition. In recent years, several leading Bangladeshi players sought continental exposure by joining clubs in Bhutan to compete in AFC competitions. Rajshahi’s success, therefore, signals a potential shift towards stronger pathways at home, encouraging investment in women’s football infrastructure, coaching standards and youth development.

Rajshahi Stars: Season at a Glance

Rajshahi Stars’ immaculate campaign not only delivered a historic first title but also set a new benchmark for excellence in Bangladesh’s women’s domestic football, offering a compelling blueprint for aspiring clubs across the country.