U15 girls dismantle Pakistan 14-0
Thimpu: Bangladesh U15 women’s national team got off to a flyer in the SAFF U15 Women’s Championship 2018 by beating Pakistan 14-0 in the Group B opener on Thursday at the Changlimithang Stadium, Thimpu, Bhutan. The reigning champions gave Pakistan no chance to settle into the game and the Red and Greens could have opened their account in the second minute had the scorer not been called offside. However, Bangladesh broke the deadlock in the fifth minute through Tohura Khatun.
Tohura’s goal opened the floodgates that swept Pakistan away into conceding half a dozen goals in the first half.
Monica Chakma made it 2-0 from a brilliant free-kick in the 17th minute.
Two minutes later, Tohura headed in a long ball from defender Akhi Khatun to make it 3-0.
In the 31st minute, striker Shamsunnahar scored her first and the team’s fourth of the match from the right side of the box.
Skipper Maria Manda, who single handedly controlled the flow of the game from the midfield, made it 5-0 with a powerful left footer in the 39th minute.
In the very next minute, towering defender Akhi Khatun scored a screamer from 25 yards out that gave the opponent goalkeeper no chance even after a full-stretch dive.
The first half finished 6-0 in favour of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh returned to the pitch determined to prove their worth as the South Asian champions.
The Pakistan girls could not stand the relentless pressure created by Bangladesh and crumbled like a cookie as Bangladesh continued to score goal after goal.
Sajeda Khatun scored a brace within ten minutes when she netted for Bangladesh in the 48th and 58th minute of the match.
Defender Anai Mogini scored two goals in the 60th and the 88th minute.
Shamsunnahar scored a quadruple in the half in the 50th, 54th, 57th and the 90th minute.
The 90th minute goal was an outrageous backheel from the clinical finisher that rubber-stamped Bangladesh’s dominance in the game.
The final whistle came as a relief for the Pakistanis as the scoreline read a whopping 14-0 in favour of Bangladesh.
However, the U15 girls fell one goal short of their own record of the biggest win which was a 15-0 triumph over Bhutan back in 2015.
In the other match of the day, India crushed Sri Lanka 12-0 in the Group A opener.
Bangladesh players and staff are content with the result but are keeping their feet on the ground ahead of their second group game against Nepal on Monday.
