Sabina embodies the golden story of ‘firsts’ in women’s football

That familiar smile, the trademark goals, and the jubilant celebration with outstretched arms—on the football pitch or the futsal court, Sabina remains unmistakably herself. She lit up the 2022 SAFF Women’s Football Championship with a series of clinical goals, and four years later, she has replicated the same brilliance in futsal. While the pitch size, rules, and number of players differ significantly between football and futsal, Sabina’s impact remains unchanged.

The Satkhira-born captain continues to lead her team from the front, wearing the armband with authority and scoring consistently. Bangladesh secured the inaugural SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship title by thrashing the Maldives 14–2 in the final, a performance underpinned by Sabina’s prolific goal-scoring.

Her career is a chronicle of firsts. Bangladesh’s women’s football history includes two SAFF titles and two South Asian (SA) Games bronze medals, all featuring Sabina’s contributions. Highlights of her pioneering achievements include:

Despite being absent from the national team since October 2024 due to disagreements with coach Peter Butler, Sabina has not disappeared from the sport. She played in the Bhutan Football League and later earned a place in the national futsal squad, where she rediscovered her form and dominated the SAFF Futsal Championship as the tournament’s top scorer with 14 goals.

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Tabith Awal praised her dual-format achievements, stating, “Sabina is the only Bangladeshi athlete to lead teams to championships in two distinct formats—football and futsal—and we are immensely proud of her.”

At the championship ceremony in Bangkok’s Nonthaburi Stadium, Sabina’s leadership was on full display. After a brief rest at the team hotel following the victory over Maldives, she returned to the stadium, interacting with teammates before the awards presentation. When the moment arrived, she took the trophy in her hands after circulating it among her teammates, underscoring the care and reverence she accords to every accolade.

From Bangladesh’s first international women’s match in 2010 to the 2022 SAFF football triumph, and now the 2026 futsal title, Sabina’s career is a testament to pioneering success. She is not only a player but a living symbol of inspiration in Bangladeshi women’s sport, continuously redefining what it means to be first.