Bangladesh set to defend Women’s SAFF title today

Reigning champions Bangladesh will face Nepal today in the final of the 7th SAFF Women's Championship 2024, taking place at the Dasharath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal. The match is set to begin at 6:45 PM (BST).

This marks Bangladesh's third appearance in the women’s SAFF final, where they clinched their historic title by defeating Nepal 3-1 in the 2022 final, held at the same venue. The champions are determined to defend their title today and aim to become only the second nation, after India, to achieve back-to-back victories, with India having defended the title five times in a row.

Nepal, who have reached the finals five times previously and are appearing in their seventh final today, will be eager to break their title drought, having finished as runners-up five times.

“Last time, we had a more experienced team with players who performed exceptionally well. I believe both the previous and current teams are equal in terms of performance,” stated Bangladesh captain Sabina Khatun during a pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

“Of course, we have some challenges as many of our players are young and facing a new environment. However, I think most of them are familiar with the field, and the hosts may feel a bit more pressure than us,” she added.

Bangladesh head coach Peter Butler noted, “We didn't have any intensive training today; just a light session. I don’t want to risk any injuries. It doesn’t matter who plays in the starting eleven since the whole team is competitive.”

Bangladesh began the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Pakistan but bounced back with a 3-1 victory over India, progressing to the final after a resounding 7-1 win against Bhutan in the semifinals.

Nepal started with a goalless draw against Bhutan, followed by impressive wins of 11-0 over the Maldives and 6-0 against Sri Lanka in the group stage, before narrowly defeating India 1(4)-1(2) in the semifinals.

Bangladesh received a boost as Nepal’s Rekha Poudel will miss the final due to a red card received against India, though they must remain vigilant against Nepal’s other key player, Sabitra Bhandari.