Experiment over, Butler prepared for title showdown

Having frequently experimented with his playing XI throughout the tournament, Bangladesh head coach Peter Butler is expected to field a strong starting line-up against Nepal in the title-deciding final match of the SAFF U-20 Women's Championship, scheduled to kick off at 7:00pm this evening at the Bashundhara Kings Arena.

Butler has repeatedly stated that the results in this competition are of little consequence to him, as his primary focus is on giving players exposure in preparation for bigger stages. Speaking after Bangladesh's penultimate match — a victory over Sri Lanka on Saturday — the Englishman remarked:
"The title means nothing to me. I'm just here to develop players. If the title matters to certain people's egos, that's their concern. I'm focused on building a team for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers in August and looking ahead to the future."

Throughout the first five matches of this four-team competition — all of which Bangladesh have won — Butler has ensured that all 23 players in the squad have had playing time.

However, it was the opening fixture against Nepal that gave Butler plenty to reflect on, as Bangladesh managed a narrow 3-2 win, courtesy of a stoppage-time goal from Trishna Rani Sarkar.

Interestingly, that was the only match in which Butler deployed what could be considered his strongest starting XI. The team raced to a 2-0 lead in the first half, but after substituting several key players following the interval, the Nepalese side mounted a strong comeback.

That hard-earned win has put Bangladesh in a favourable position ahead of the final, as a draw will be enough for the hosts to retain the championship title — fresh off the back of their historic Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign.

Nepal, meanwhile, have been the tournament's most prolific side, boasting a superior goal difference of +30 compared to Bangladesh's +24. This means that if Nepal manage to defeat Bangladesh by any margin, both teams will finish on 15 points, and Nepal will be crowned champions on goal difference, having also registered a win over their rivals.

Butler is fully aware of the challenge posed by this high-scoring Nepalese outfit.

"Nepal are a strong team. They're ranked higher than us in the women's rankings… They've got quality players and have shown they can score goals. I have the utmost respect for them," he said following the win over Sri Lanka.

He also issued a stern warning to his squad:
"If some of the girls in that dressing room think they're in for an easy ride, they're in for the shock of their lives," said the 58-year-old coach, who will be relieved to welcome back his first-choice striker Mosammat Sagorika following a three-match suspension.