Bangladeshi U-20 women's team emerges victorious against Laos in the Asian Cup qualifiers, with a score of 3-1, featuring Sagorika as the main star.
Bangladesh U-20 Women's Team Secures Historic Win in AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers
The Bangladesh U-20 women's football team made history this week with a 3-1 victory over Laos in the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers. This match, held at the New Laos National Stadium in Vientiane, marked the opening game of the 2025 qualifiers for Bangladesh.
The match began with Bangladesh dominating possession and piling pressure on Laos from the opening whistle. In the 36th minute, Sagorika scored the first goal for Bangladesh, capitalising on a corner kick by Shanti Mardi.
The second half saw Bangladesh extend their lead, with Trishna Rani setting up Munki Akter for the second goal in the 58th minute. Sagorika added another goal in stoppage time, securing a comfortable victory for the team.
Laos managed to score one goal against Bangladesh in the 86th minute, but it was too little, too late to change the outcome of the game. This win marks Bangladesh's third win in the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers, a significant achievement for the team.
This encounter may be among the first competitive meetings between Bangladesh U-20 women and Laos in this tournament, as no records of previous matches before 2025 are mentioned in the search results. This victory has propelled Bangladesh to the top of their group and brought them one step closer to qualifying for the final round of the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup.
The win comes after a successful qualifying campaign for Bangladesh, which has seen them beat Timor-Leste 8-0 and compete against strong teams like South Korea. This victory over Laos was significant as it projected Bangladesh as group leaders, eventually qualifying despite a later 6-1 loss to South Korea.
Sagorika, who had been the standout player in the SAFF U-20 Women's Championship last month, scored twice for Bangladesh in this match. Her impressive performance has been instrumental in Bangladesh's success in the qualifiers.
Meanwhile, South Korea thrashed Timor-Leste 9-0 in the other Group H match. Bangladesh's next match will be against Timor-Leste on Friday, with the team aiming to replicate their impressive form in the qualifiers.
This historic win comes just over a month after the senior women's team of Bangladesh qualified for the AFC Women's Asian Cup for the first time. The juniors are aiming for the same achievement in Vietnam, and this win is a promising start to their campaign. The team will be hoping to continue their impressive form in the upcoming matches and secure their place in the final round of the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup.
In the ongoing AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers, Bangladesh's dominant performance against Laos resulted in a 3-1 victory, with Sagorika, who also excelled in the recent SAFF U-20 Women's Championship, scoring twice for the team. This performance is a positive sign for the team as they strive to secure a spot in the final round of the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup and possibly replicate the success of the senior women's team, aiming for a place in the AFC Women's Asian Cup in Vietnam.
