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Published : 10 Jul 2025, 08:02 PM
Bangladesh head coach Peter James Butler believes India’s absence has dulled the appeal of the SAFF Under-20 Women’s Championship -- but insists his team must stay focused and take no opponent lightly.
Bangladesh are set to kick off their campaign on Friday against Sri Lanka at the Bashundhara Kings Arena.
Butler, aiming to qualify for the Women’s Asian Cup, has urged players like Afeida and Sapna to keep their feet on the ground.
“Since returning from Myanmar, we have mainly worked on bringing the players back to reality and keeping them humble,” he said.
“More importantly, it is about being disciplined and focusing on the tournament. In my view, this is a great tournament for developing players and a fantastic opportunity for young players to showcase their talent.
“So, I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do. Of course, we are not taking anyone lightly; we respect everyone. We know it won’t be easy.”
While Butler admits that India’s withdrawal has taken some shine off the tournament, he says it remains a crucial stage for youth development.
“Certainly, India’s absence has reduced the tournament’s appeal. Maybe the attention has shifted to the AFC U-20 tournament. Still, this is an important opportunity for every team here to groom future stars.”
Several players in this squad were part of the side that reached the main round of the Women’s Asian Cup, but Butler sees that as no reason for complacency.
“In any team I coach, there is no room for complacency,” he said. “I ensure that the players remain humble, grounded, and respectful of their opponents.
“I don’t like to single out specific players. We have some truly talented players in our team who have started their journey of improvement.
“I am sure Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka are also competing in the same situation. They are here to improve as well.”
He added, “I don’t believe in winning at any cost. I believe, and I’m sure other coaches here would agree, that this tournament is about developing young players and giving them game time so they can progress to the senior national team in the future.”
Team captain Afeida Khandaker Pranti echoes the same mindset.
She says the squad takes the tournament seriously and views every opponent with respect.
“Our preparation has been good, Alhamdulillah. We didn’t have much time because we went to Myanmar for the Asian Cup qualifiers. Even so… we all practised together this morning,” she said.
“I think all three teams are strong. We have to play well against each team. There’s no point in underestimating anyone. We will compete against all three teams and play well. Inshallah, we will win.”
“Just because we went to the Asian Cup doesn’t mean we will look down on SAFF.
“Our dream was to win the SAFF first and then go to Asia. After winning the SAFF, we went to the Asian Cup. But that doesn’t mean we won’t play SAFF.
“We are a South Asian country, and we will play in South Asia. There’s no such thing as anyone being special in our team. All 23 players in our squad are special,” Afeida added.
