The head coach of the Bangladesh women’s national football team has claimed that he is facing various issues from both inside and outside the team environment.
After the defeat to Malaysia, Peter James Butler appeared in the press conference visibly angry once again. He expressed his frustration over outside interference, internal non-cooperation, and several other issues.
Before the match on Wednesday at the National Stadium, the atmosphere felt very different. After more than a decade, Rituporna, Monika, and their teammates returned to this venue for a competitive match. But after conceding a goal against the run of play in the first half, the team fell apart. They failed to overturn the 1-0 deficit.
Responding to the loss, Butler initially took the blame upon himself. He did not criticize Rupna Chakma, who had unnecessarily rushed off her line before conceding. But his words still carried strong frustration.
“First of all, I take responsibility for team selection, the result, and everything good or bad. I want to make it clear—I am not here to give excuses. I believe that the way my team should play, we actually played well. But we could not take our chances. I also don’t want to blame anyone for that goal.”
“But I know why one or two players were not at their best today. I’m sure some journalists here know exactly what I’m talking about… All I’ll say is this—when someone works from behind the scenes, when someone inside your camp tries to pull strings, it becomes really difficult to bring out young players like Mamoni Chakma or Sagorika. I want to help Bangladesh football, but not in the way some people want.”
In the 29th minute, the visitors scored on a counterattack. As Nur Ainsah Binte Murad tried to control a long pass, defender Kohati Kisku was right beside her. At the same moment, Rupna Chakma rushed off her line, leading to miscommunication. Nur took advantage of it. According to Butler, Rupna should have reached the ball.
“Regarding that goal, I simply think Rupna came out a little slowly. I feel she was slightly hesitant. There is nothing to do with high-line defending here, though some people always obsess over it. I think Rupna should have cleared that ball. But I’m not criticizing her, because she made so many saves.”
“There was a mistake. Mistakes happen. But I am happy with how the girls played. I’m only disappointed with the result. What should have happened didn’t happen. But what’s important is that some young players, including Mamoni Chakma, got valuable match time.”
Bangladesh are playing this tri-nation series as part of their preparation for the upcoming Women’s Asian Cup in March. Their next match is against Azerbaijan next Tuesday. With the Asian Cup approaching, Butler was asked how the team could prepare properly if outside interference continued. He responded carefully.
“I won’t mention any names, because you all know who I’m referring to. If someone is dropped from the squad for disobedience, and as a coach I try to create a healthy environment—which I believe already exists at about 90 percent—then a truly healthy atmosphere will form inside this team. The girls are fantastic. The more they play, the more they will improve. I believe the future of Bangladesh women’s football is bright. But some people are creating problems not only from outside but also inside, and we have to fight against that.”
“If I have to step aside now, I would gladly do it. Bring someone else in, but the same problems will continue. And to the players, I will only say this—develop strong character, fight the storm, don’t lose faith in yourselves, and keep doing the right things, whether I am here or not.”
