'Excited to play against Japan'

Soon after securing a place in the finals of the 2017 AFC U-16 Women's Championship, Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) wanted to have a talented group of girls feature on a bigger stage -- the 2018 Asian Games. However, the board had to backtrack on their decision following heavy media criticism for throwing the inexperienced girls into unknown territory.

Over the years, they have grown and established their supremacy in the sub-continent by clinching the SAFF Women's Championship last year. The chance for those talented girls to feature in the Asian Games has finally arrived as the Bangladesh women's team will play former FIFA Women's World Champions Japan, fast-improving Vietnam, who are also playing the current Women's World Cup, and familiar rivals Nepal in the quadrennial event.

Bangladesh have been drawn in a tough Group D, with the draw involving 17 nations being held in China yesterday.

Bangladesh's U-16 women's team faced strong teams like Japan, North Korea, and Australia in the AFC age-group tournament, but the senior team never played against top teams like Japan and Vietnam, ranked 11th and 32nd in the FIFA rankings, respectively.

Maria Manda, Krishna Rani, Monica Chakma, Shamsunnahar, Sanjida Akhter, Sheuli Azim, and others had once played against Japan's age-group sides.

"Personally, I am really excited to play against Japan because it is going to be a great experience for me regardless of the outcome," Bangladesh captain Sabina Khatun told The Daily Star. "Overall, it will be a great experience for the girls who will also learn something new by taking part in the Asian Games."