Bangladesh ready for Myanmar test after dream start

Buoyed by a thrilling start to their AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign, Bangladesh will be aiming for another impressive result as they take on hosts Myanmar in their second Group C fixture in Yangon tomorrow.

The match is set to kick off at 3:30pm Bangladesh time at the Thuwunna Stadium.

The women in red and green opened their campaign in emphatic fashion, dismantling Bahrain with a 7-0 victory on Sunday. They now face a far tougher challenge in Myanmar — a side ranked 55th in the world, a full 73 places above Bangladesh.

Despite the significant gap in FIFA rankings, Peter Butler's side are brimming with confidence. The squad appeared upbeat during their final preparations in Yangon, training at Field 5 from 7:00am to 9:00am on Monday.

Speaking via the Bangladesh Football Federation's official Facebook page, players Sapna Rani, Sauravi Akanda Prity, Shaheda Akter Ripa, and goalkeeping coach Masud Ahamad Uzzal shared their positive outlook ahead of the crucial clash.

"We are ready to deliver a strong performance and win the match," said Ripa.

"We'll follow our coach's instructions. Please keep us in your prayers," added Sapna.

Prity echoed the same confidence: "We'll try our best to stick to the coach's tactics and we're hopeful for a positive result."

Masud also expressed his belief in the team: "We trust the players not to let us down."

Tomorrow's encounter is expected to be pivotal, as only the group winners will secure qualification for next year's Women's Asian Cup in Australia. Myanmar, too, began their campaign in dominant fashion, thrashing 141st-ranked Turkmenistan 8-0 in their opening fixture.

While Myanmar may be the favourites on paper, Bangladesh's commanding performance against a physically superior Bahrain side has made it clear they are not to be underestimated.

A similar showing against Myanmar could mark another memorable milestone in the rise of Bangladesh women's football.