‘A lot of effort required to compete against the best’

Having created history by qualifying for the AFC Women's Asian Cup for the first time in July last year, Bangladesh’s women’s football team are preparing for their maiden appearance at Asia’s premier competition. Although the Bangladesh Football Federation had outlined an ambitious preparation plan, the programme fell short before the team departed for Australia last week. Despite the limitations in preparation, captain Afeida Khandoker has vowed that the team will give their best against Asia’s leading sides. She spoke to The Daily Star’s Anisur Rahman about expectations, preparation and future ambitions. The excerpts are as follows:

The Daily Star (DS): You are going to play in the Asia Cup for the first time; what are your expectations?

Afeida Khandokar (AK): Since this is our first appearance, expectations are naturally high. This achievement did not come overnight; it is the result of long and sustained hard work. We will be facing some of Asia’s strongest teams, so we must give a lot of effort to compete against the best. From the very beginning, we will try to produce positive results.

DS: Since qualifying in July last year, Bangladesh have played only four international matches and held two phases of intensive training at KEPZ. Do you feel there were any gaps in preparation?

AK: I would not say there were major gaps in preparation. We played 10 matches in the recently concluded Women’s Football League, and we learned a lot from those games. We tried to improve by correcting our mistakes from the league. Whatever happened, we believe it has helped us move forward.

DS: You have previously played against strong teams such as Japan and Vietnam at the Asian Games. How challenging will it be to face China and North Korea in the group stage in Sydney?

AK: We played against Japan a long time ago, but we have not faced China or North Korea before. From our experience against South Korea at the U-20 level, we saw how quick and advanced they were in every aspect. The lessons we learned from that match could be useful in the Asian Cup.

DS: You were outside the national camp for a period due to the league. How much has your fitness improved under fitness trainer Cameron Lord in the short training phase?

AK: Everyone is now in quite good physical condition. During the league break for the SAFF Women’s U-19 Championship, we worked very hard under him. We tried to follow all his instructions and hopefully the results will be positive.

DS: How do you think Bangladesh’s participation in the Asian Cup will influence women’s football in the country in the future?

AK: Everyone dreams that Bangladesh will one day play in the World Cup. The interest from the public, especially after winning the SAFF Women’s Championship twice and qualifying for the Asian Cup, shows that women’s football will grow further in the coming years.

DS: How comfortable do the senior players feel with the inclusion of new faces like Alpi Akter, Saurovi Akanda Priti and Anika Rania Siddiqui?

AK: It is very encouraging for the whole team. We also have the AFC Women’s U-20 Championship after the Asian Cup, so it is important for younger players to gain experience. Training and playing with the senior team will help them learn how to handle competitive situations and perform better in the future.

DS: The national team have performed well internationally, but the domestic structure remains relatively weak. Do you have any regrets about the competition system?

AK: Honestly, there is nothing to regret or be frustrated about. In our country, the allocation for men’s football has always been higher than for women, and we have accepted that reality. However, facilities for women’s footballers should be improved because we have been achieving better results. I also think it is important for us to face stronger opponents in domestic competitions.