AFC U-16 Football

Bangladesh finishes group runners-up losing to China by 0-3 goals

Bangladesh finishes group runners-up losing to China by 0-3 goals

Bangladesh women’s football team finished Group B runners-up in the qualifying round-2 matches of the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship losing to stronger China by 0-3 goals in their 3nd and last group affairs at the Mandalar Thiri Stadium in Mandalay, Myanmar on Sunday.

Despite the day’s first defeat in their 3rd group encounters , Bangladesh U-16 Women reached the eight-team final round of the prestigious AFC U-16 Women’s Championship for the second successive time securing six points from three group outings with two wins and one loss.

As one of the best eight teams in Asia, Bangladesh junior women’s team have an opportunity to play in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup as three top teams of the AFC Championship to be entitled to play in the World Cup.

With the day’s feat, PR China emerged Group B champions with all-win record to book a seat for the final round of the AFC U-16 Championship alongside Bangladesh.

In the day’s match, Dai Xinyao put China ahead in the 29th minute, Shao Ziqin doubled the margin in the 46th minute while Wang Xinling sealed the fate of the scoring the 3rd goal in the 53rd minute to win the match comfortable by 3-0 goals.

The eight-nation final round of the AFC U-16 Championship scheduled for Thailand next September, which is also a qualifying meet of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2020.

Six nations of the eight-team final round, defending champions North Korea, runners-up South Korea, 3rd ranked Japan, hosts Thailand, China and Bangladesh (Group B) have already confirmed their participation.

Four teams of Group A—Australia, Laos, Vietnam and Iran—are battling in Laos for the remaining two seats of the final round. Australia beat Iran by 3-0 goals in the opening Group A match at the News Laos National Stadium on Sunday (March 3).

On way to final round, Bangladesh eliminated hosts Myanmar 1-0 in their second Group B match on Friday after a dream start, crushing the Philippines by 10-0 goals on Wednesday.

China emerged Group B champions beating Myanmar by 5-0 goals, the Philippines 7-0 and Bangladesh 3-0 on Sunday.

Hosts Myanmar and the Philippines were eliminated from the meet after suffering two successive defeats, will face each other on Sunday for a face saving victory.

In the final round of the last AFC U-16 Women’s Championship in 2017, also a qualifying round of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Bangladesh suffered 0-9 goals defeat against North Korea, conceded 0-3 defeat against Japan and 2-3 defeat against Australia.

Earlier, hosts Bangladesh U-16 Women’s team reached the round-2 of the AFC qualifiers as the unbeaten Group F champions crushing Lebanon 8-0, United Arab Emirates 7-0 and Vietnam 2-0 in Dhaka in September last year.

The team scored a whopping 27 goals without conceding any single in the four group matches in the preliminary round-1 in Dhaka in September last year.

After the day’s match, Head Coach of Bangladesh Golam Rabbani Choton said, “We came here to qualify for the final round and we have achieved this. I am so proud. Not only this we are now competing against quality oppositions.”

Bangladesh Captain Maria Manda said,“I am proud of our performance against China, we have improved much.”