Chaotic off the pitch, sublime on it

Success and controversy are apparently walking hand in hand for Bangladesh in their title defence of SAFF Women's Championship in Kathmandu.

The charges of Peter Butler had started their campaign with a frustrating 1-1 draw against Pakistan, and have ever since created controversies off the field, all the while putting up stunning displays on the pitch, the latest of which was in the semifinals at the Dasharath Stadium yesterday in a 7-1 thrashing of Bhutan.

Following the emphatic 3-1 win against five-time champions India, which ensured Bangladesh their passage to the last four as group winners, it was expected that the team would put an end to the controversies there and stay united till the end of the campaign.

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Yet, captain Sabina Khatun created more controversy with a Facebook post, apparently a dig at the coach, before coming up with an apology post pretty soon. Former coach Golam Rabbani Choton shared his opinion on media, riling up Butler even further, just ahead of the semifinals.

There was uncertainty over whether Sabina would play a part in this match after having skipped Saturday's training, reportedly with a bout of fever. Well, she started and scored a brace, silencing the criticism and controversy surrounding the team.

It was, however, Tohura Khatun, the wizard from Kalsindur who starred for the defending champions with a hattrick as Bangladesh ran riot against a team they had routed 8-0 at the same stage of the competition two years ago.

The 21-year-old striker scored her first in the 15th minute of the match, after Rituporna Chakma had given Bangladesh a seventh-minute lead with a bullet of a shot, with a wonderful curling effort from the edge of the box following a bewildering pirouette to shrug off her marker.

Sabina, the top-scorer of last edition, opened her account with a tap-in on 27 minutes before Tohura doubled her tally with a strike almost identical to her first eight minutes later.

Sabina rounded off the Bhutanese keeper to grab her second of the game two minutes later before Bhutan pulled one back, thanks to some defensive miscommunication from Bangladesh on 41 minutes.

I have been in Bangladesh for eight-nine months and I have realised that it was always going to be trouble, so I just take it with a pinch of salt. I am far too professional to be irked by or be provoked by people who have not played at the level I have played at, who have not coached at the level I have coached at and don't have that level of professionalism and common decency.

Bangladesh coach Peter Butler

While the coach took off a number of forwards and brought on some fresh legs in the second half, Tohura still had the legs to complete her hattrick with a placing shot in the 58th minute before defender Sheuli Azim completed the rout with a header in the 72nd minute.

The Bangladesh coach praised the team's effort and the work he has done since taking charge eight months ago.

"It was nice to come here today and pull up a performance with a group of girls who have not disappointed. We have worked extremely hard for the last six-seven months to create that competitive nature and environment that you need if you want to progress," Butler told reporters at the post-match press conference while pointing finger at people who are trying, according to him, to destabilise the team.