First Thai test for Butler’s charges today

Peter Butler will look to prepare his charges for the challenges of next year's AFC Women's Asian Cup as Bangladesh women's football team take on a strong Thailand side in the first of two international friendly matches today.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 4:00pm (Bangladesh time) at the Bangkok Thonburi University Football Training Centre.

Following three weeks of intensive training at KEPZ in Chattogram, the women in red and green arrived in Bangkok on Tuesday and trained over the past two days to acclimatise to the local weather. They are now ready to face a Thai side ranked 51 places above Bangladesh in the FIFA Women's Rankings.

Goalkeepers Rupna Chakma and Swarna Rani Mandal expressed optimism about performing well and aiming for a positive result against the hosts.

"We have been training as instructed. Now we are prepared for tomorrow's match, and we'll certainly try to give our best to win," said Rupna in a video message.

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Women booters leave Dhaka for two friendlies in Bangkok

Swarna added that everyone was "serious and focused" during the final training session as they aim to secure victory against the Thais.

While the players are eyeing a win against Thailand -- who, despite featuring in the AFC Women's Asian Cup final rounds 17 times, failed to reach the finals this year -- coach Peter Butler seems more focused on gaining experience and rebuilding his side for future competitions.

Before the team's departure for Bangkok, Butler said: "You can't go there with a win-at-all-costs mentality. You have to be realistic and put things into context of what you want from the game. What I want is a competitive performance."