Bangladesh Under-16 women’s football team sealed their place in the history books after they qualified for the final round of the 2017 AFC Under16 Women’s Championship in China with a 4-2 win over Chinese Taipei on Saturday in Dhaka. This was for the first time that any women’s football team of any category from Bangladesh has qualified for the final stage of any AFC tournament.
The hosts had to come from one goal behind to seal the memorable win with Samsunnahar scoring a brace while Krishna Rani and Mazia added the other two goals at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
With the win, Bangladesh finished as the Group C champions of the Qualifying round with a match in hand.
If Bangladesh lose their final group game against United Arab Emirates on Monday then the winner of the match between Chinese Taipei and Iran would also finish with same points as the hosts.
In that case according to the AFC rules, Bangladesh, who beat both Iran and Chinese Taipei, will be considered as the group winners due to their better head to head records.
Bangladesh coach made only one change in his starting XI that beat Kyrgyzstan 10-0 in their last match by bringing in team’s best defender Masura Parvin in the place of Anai Mogini.
Though the hosts started the game with panache, they conceded a sudden goal against the run of play in the 11th minute. Collecting a ball from a counter attack, Yu-Hsuan fired home over Bangladesh keeper Mahmuda with a right footed effort.
However, Bangladesh put immense pressure and levelled the margin in the 26th minute when Samsunnahar scored from the spot after Chinese Taipei defender Chen Chiao-Yi brought down Krishna Rani.
Chinese Taipei were also reduced to 10 players as Chen was sent off for her second successive yellow card.
Bangladesh took lead in the 38th minute when Krishana earned another penalty and Samsunnahar made no mistake to convert it. This time Taipei captain Su Yu-Hsuan fouled Bangladeshi captain inside the box.
Forward Anuching Mogini, who scored four goals in two matches, seemed threatening inside the Taipei box with her burst of speed and powerful shooting skills.
Anuching found Taipei keeper alone couple of times in the first half but she saw her efforts missing the target on both the occasions.
Krishna, who looked very threatening inside the Taipei box, finally found the back of net in the 56th minute sending the ball home with a left footed drive from just inside the box following a superb chip from Anuching.
Marzia extended the lead in the 78th minute to seal the victory when she sent the ball home from goal mouth melee following a corner of Sanjida from left flag.
Chinese Taipei reduced the margin in the 87th minute through Wu Yu-Jou.
Taipei were reduced to nine players in the last minute of the stipulated time when defender Teng Pei-Lin received her second yellow card.
RESULT
Bangladesh U-16 Women 4 (Samsunnahar 26, 38, Krishna 56, Marzia 78) v Chinese Taipei U-16 Women 2 (Yu-Hsuan 11, Yu-Jou 87)
-With New Age input
