Star forward Rituparna Chakma expressed her hope that passionate fans will continue to stand by the team as they strive to take Bangladesh football even further.
After the Turkmenistan-Bahrain match ended in a draw, no one in the Bangladesh camp initially realized that they had officially qualified for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. Once the news broke, the players were overcome with joy—caught between disbelief and excitement. Rituparna Chakma admitted she didn’t even have the words to express what the moment meant to her.
Bangladesh had already secured six points from two consecutive wins, topping Group C after defeating Myanmar. Then, with the draw between Turkmenistan and Bahrain, qualification was confirmed — marking the first time ever that Bangladesh reached the final round of the Asian Cup. Reflecting on that day, Rituparna opened up in a video posted on the Bangladesh Football Federation’s Facebook page on Friday.
“(Reaching the final round of the Asian Cup) is a feeling I just can’t put into words. When we found out that we had qualified, it felt completely unreal. After so many years of hard work, we’ve finally made it to the main stage of the Asian Cup. This is a huge achievement for us.”
She shared how the joy extended to her family, especially her mother, who was unwell at the time.
“After the win, I called my mom and the rest of my family. They were all so happy that I had scored two goals. My mom, despite being sick, said she didn’t feel unwell anymore after hearing the news. We actually haven’t celebrated yet—we have one more match to go. We’ll celebrate afterward.”
Bangladesh will face Turkmenistan in their final qualifier on Saturday. Yet the memories of the 2–1 win over Myanmar still linger, especially since it was Rituparna who scored both goals. After her second goal, she celebrated by covering her face with both hands—an emotional, spontaneous gesture that many noticed. She later explained it, saying:
“(There was) no specific reason behind that celebration. When I scored the second goal… honestly, I can’t express that feeling. I was overwhelmed with emotion.”
Looking ahead, Rituparna called on fans to keep supporting them, vowing to help lift Bangladesh to even greater heights.
“To the fans of Bangladesh, I want to say—please continue supporting us just like you have been. InshaAllah, with your support, we’ll be able to achieve even better results and take Bangladesh to a much higher level.”
“We had a goal—after being SAFF champions twice and now qualifying again, my next dream was to play in the Asian Cup. We want to take the Bangladesh team to a higher level, step by step. And we’re doing just that.”
Rituparna also praised head coach Peter James Butler — the same coach she and 17 other players had protested against after their last SAFF title. Following the Myanmar win, Butler said Rituparna had the potential to play in the Middle East or even higher-level leagues. She responded to those comments with humility.
“We have a good coach. He always wants the best for us. About the praise he gave me — I don’t know how much of that I truly deserve.”
