Bangladesh kicked off their AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifying campaign in emphatic fashion, dismantling FIFA-ranked 36 spots higher Bahrain with a commanding 7–0 win.
“Shamsunnahar Jr. opened the scoring with a smart chip, and Rituparna Chakma doubled the lead with a stunning left-footed curler. Within 15 minutes, Bahrain—far ahead in the FIFA rankings—were completely outplayed,” the report reads. Tohura Khatun and Kohati Kisku also found the net, giving Bangladesh a dream start to their qualifying journey.
Playing their opener on Sunday in Yangon, Bangladesh stormed to a 5–0 lead in the first half before adding two more goals after the break. Tohura Khatun scored twice, while Rituparna, Shamsunnahar Jr., Kohati Kisku, and Munky Akter each got on the scoresheet. The final goal was an own goal.
Bangladesh will now face hosts Myanmar in their second Group C match on Wednesday. Myanmar also opened with a dominant 8–0 win against Turkmenistan.
From the very first minute, Bangladesh showed attacking intent. Rituparna tested the Bahraini goalkeeper early with a long-range strike—much like her goal against Nepal in the previous SAFF Championship.
In the 10th minute, Shamsunnahar Jr. broke the offside trap, latched onto a long pass, and chipped the onrushing goalkeeper to open the scoring. Five minutes later, Rituparna made it 2–0 with a curling effort after collecting a cross from Swapna Rani.
Monika Chakma nearly extended the lead in the 24th minute but fired over the bar in disbelief after finding herself one-on-one. Tohura also had a header ruled out for offside, while Shamsunnahar and Tohura missed a couple of more chances before the break.
Despite a quiet game, goalkeeper Rupna Chakma made a crucial clearance outside her box in the 37th minute, keeping her focus intact. Maria Manda’s clever footwork led to another near miss as her shot went just over.
The fourth goal came in the 40th minute, when Maria’s low cross off a corner was mishandled by the Bahraini defense, allowing Kohati Kisku to tap in from close range.
Tohura then stole the spotlight in added time of the first half. She first capitalized on a defensive error following Monika’s pressing and then completed her brace by converting a precise cutback from Shamsunnahar Jr.
Bangladesh maintained their intensity in the second half. In the 60th minute, Shamsunnahar’s touch from a teammate’s cross led to an own goal by Rawan Al Ali. Munky Akter made it 7–0 in the 74th minute, driving into the box, dodging a defender, and finishing low into the corner.
Substitute Sagarika thought she had scored in the 86th minute, but her goal was ruled out for offside. Minutes later, Tohura’s strike rattled the crossbar.
With a massive win over a significantly higher-ranked opponent, Bangladesh have made a strong statement in the qualifiers.
