Bangladesh celebrate Asian Cup qualification with 7–0 rout of Turkmenistan

Bangladesh reserved their celebrations for clinching an Asian Cup berth until the final match of the campaign. On Saturday, they marked the monumental achievement in style with a commanding 7–0 win over Turkmenistan, wrapping up the Asian Cup Qualifiers with a perfect record at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon.

On paper, Turkmenistan – ranked 141st and 13 places below Bangladesh – were the weakest side in the group. However, Bangladesh had already proven that rankings can be misleading, following emphatic victories over higher-ranked Bahrain and Myanmar. There was little doubt about the outcome of this match; the only question was how large the winning margin would be.

From the moment the game kicked off, it was clear it would be one-way traffic, with the Central Asian side struggling to cope with Bangladesh's intensity. The floodgates opened in just the third minute, as Sapna Rani Mondal launched a thunderous strike from outside the box to give Bangladesh the lead.

What followed was a blitzkrieg. In a 17-minute spell, Bangladesh netted five more goals. Shamsunnahar Jr scored twice, while Monika Chakma, Tohura Khatun, and Ritu Porna Chakma each found the net.

The fifth goal – Ritu Porna's in the 18th minute – was a calamity for Turkmenistan, as the goalkeeper let the ball slip through her hands, prompting an immediate substitution. Unfortunately for the replacement, her first touch of the ball was to retrieve it from the back of the net just a minute later.

A 20-minute lull followed, as Bangladesh were temporarily unable to add to the scoreline. But that ended when Ritu Porna delivered a trademark left-footed curler from outside the area, finding the top-right corner with style.

There was growing anticipation among fans that Bangladesh might surpass their record victory – a 9–0 win against Bhutan in Cox's Bazar in 2010. However, Turkmenistan emerged after the break with a more organised and disciplined performance, managing to stifle the Red and Green attack. They successfully blocked key passing channels in the final third, and with Ritu Porna and Sapna Rani both subbed off early in the second half, Bangladesh struggled to find another breakthrough.

The substitute goalkeeper also redeemed herself with a more solid display, ensuring the scoreline remained unchanged in the second half. Nonetheless, Bangladesh were content, walking off the pitch with a resounding victory and beginning their long-awaited celebrations.