Peter Butler hails Ritu Porna Chakma after historic win over Myanmar

Bangladesh women's team head coach Peter Butler has lavished praise on star forward Ritu Porna Chakma, backing her to reach even greater heights following her outstanding performance in the historic 2-1 victory over Myanmar, which secured Bangladesh's qualification for the AFC Women's Asian Cup for the very first time.

Ritu, a two-time SAFF champion, produced a dazzling display at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, silencing the passionate home crowd with a thunderous left-footed strike from outside the area in the first half to open the scoring. She then doubled the lead in the second half with a stunning effort from an acute angle on the left flank, once again from outside the box.

Although Myanmar pulled one back late in the match, Ritu Porna's brace proved decisive as Bangladesh, ranked 128th in the FIFA rankings, overcame a side 73 places above them to secure a famous win.

Impressed by her performance, Butler endorsed Ritu's potential to succeed on much bigger stages, particularly given her dominance at the South Asian level.

"This girl [Ritu Porna] has the ability to play at a much higher level. I think everyone knows that," said Butler during the post-match press conference.

With no domestic league currently active in Bangladesh for women, Ritu – along with several of her international teammates – has had to seek playing opportunities abroad. This season, she represented Paro FC in the Bhutan Women's League. It is also worth noting that the squad which won the 2022 SAFF Championship had to wait nearly 10 months before playing another international fixture.

"It's just unfortunate that we've not had a league in Bangladesh and she's had to go to Bhutan to play domestic football. She should be playing in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, or somewhere with a higher standard than what she's currently exposed to," Butler said.

"She's a cheeky, soft-spoken girl with a lot of talent. She's still young, and the world is her oyster. I really hope she gets the chance to move to a bigger and better stage, because she absolutely deserves it."

Ritu, who also scored in Bangladesh's tournament opener against Bahrain on Sunday, has become a key figure in the team's attacking setup, known for her flair and eye for the spectacular. The 21-year-old played a crucial role in Bangladesh's successful defence of their SAFF Championship title earlier this year, where she was named Player of the Tournament. She also netted a memorable goal in the final against Nepal – a strike reminiscent of her second goal against Myanmar.