Despite the tough conditions, the Bangladesh women’s football coach expressed satisfaction after seeing his young players deliver a victory.
The field was muddy and slippery due to heavy rain, with waterlogged patches making it even harder to play. Players slipped and fell while chasing the ball, increasing the risk of injury. Though pleased with the win over Bhutan, coach Peter James Butler didn’t hide his frustration about the pitch when speaking after the game — openly stating, playing on such a surface is harmful for the players.
In the SAFF U-20 Women’s Championship on Tuesday, Bangladesh defeated Bhutan 4-1, thanks to a hat-trick from Shanti Mardi. With three wins from three, Bangladesh sit top of the round-robin league table with nine points.
Due to the adverse weather, the Bangladesh-Bhutan match was played across two venues. The first half was held at the Bashundhara Kings Arena, while the second half took place on the adjacent practice ground. Butler even joked about it afterward.
“Story of two halves, isn’t it? First half and second half. For the first time, I started the first half on one pitch and finished the second half on another. I’m here to develop the game, raise its standard, and help it progress. But this (today’s experience) is harmful. In my opinion, it’s dangerous for the players’ health.”
“Before the match, I told the referee and match officials this field was unplayable. Fortunately, three hours later they made a sensible decision. Moving the game to another pitch was just common sense. I’m happy we were able to finish the game and that we played some really good football in the second half, building momentum.”
Butler made sweeping changes to his starting XI from the Nepal game, giving nine new players a chance — with only Shanti Mardi and Bannya Khatun retained. The English coach was impressed by how they performed.
“We have a group of girls who haven’t played matches for a long time. Sagarika was also out (due to a red card). I had decided to field the younger players after the first two games. Today, I started with nine new players — and I’m happy with their performance.”
“Trishna is improving steadily. Shanti will become a fantastic player. Umhela needs to sharpen her finishing in the final third, but she’s a wonderful talent. Bannya, Rupa, and Kanan also played well. It was very tough to play on this pitch where you couldn’t even shoot the ball 10 meters. I brought Surma back into the team and made her captain. She’s still not ready for the full 90 minutes, and I don’t want to rush her.”
Butler’s ultimate focus isn’t just this age-group tournament but the upcoming Women’s Asian Cup in Australia next March. With the way the newcomers performed, he believes the depth of his squad is growing.
“It feels good to know we have players like Swapna, Munki, and Afaida on the bench — even Zaynab. Now it suddenly feels like the squad is growing, both in strength and confidence. We need to keep this consistency and momentum going.”
