Women's team ‘on the right road’ before tri-nation tourney

Head coach Peter Butler is comparatively satisfied with the Bangladesh women's football team's fitness as they prepare for the upcoming tri-nation tournament at home, featuring higher-ranked Azerbaijan and Malaysia.

The event forms part of the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup build-up for the women in red and green.

Bangladesh will open their campaign against Malaysia on November 26 at the National Stadium before facing Azerbaijan on December 2. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, will play their opener against Malaysia on November 29.

In late October, Bangladesh played two friendlies against Thailand, suffering 3-0 and 5-1 defeats. Butler, unhappy with his players' fitness levels at the time, has since spent three weeks in Chittagong addressing the team's weaknesses.

"We're trying to compete on a different level, which is AFC level, which is very different," Butler told reporters at the BFF House yesterday.

"And you come up against tougher opposition, as we found out when we played Thailand, where we were beaten, and well beaten, with no excuses.

"We had a lot of players who weren't fit enough, but we've tried to address that in a short period of time. And I feel we're on the right road."

Butler brought one change to the squad that played against Thailand, including Mamoni Chakma in place of Ruma Akter.

"I think these little tournaments like tri-nations are really good. They provide a great learning experience when you play stronger teams and better players," the Englishman added.

"They're a lot further ahead in their development… That's not negative, just realistic. We have to stay positive. Sometimes you've got to be thankful for small mercies, and I truly believe we're moving forwards."

Captain Afeida Khandokar is excited to play at the National Stadium for the first time since its renovation but stressed the need to improve by correcting the mistakes made against Thailand.