Bangladesh's Women Earn Place in History

Few expected Bangladesh to stamp their ticket to the Women's Asian Cup at a qualifying tournament last week, after a year in which they had failed to win a game and lost some of their most experienced players.

- 

YANGON - Few expected Bangladesh to stamp their ticket to the Women's Asian Cup at a qualifying tournament last week, after a year in which they had failed to win a game and lost some of their most experienced players.

Ranked 128th in the world and 25th in Asia, the Bengal Tigresses headed to Myanmar without all-time top-scorer Sabina Khatun, who led a walk-out in protest at English coach Peter Butler in February.

Bangladesh defied the odds, however, by winning all three games in Yangon to top their group and secure one of only 12 spots in Australia in 2026, their first appearance at the continental tournament.

"I'm really proud of the players... these girls have sacrificed a lot," Butler, who coached Singapore Armed Forces FC in the then S-League in 2006, told Reuters on July 6, before flying to Dhaka where a large crowd gathered late at night to welcome the team home.