AFC U-19 women's qualifiers start today

[Tiger444]

Hosts take on Jordan

Bangladesh will take on Jordan in their first match in Group B of the AFC U-19 Women's Football Championship Qualifiers at the Birshreshtha Mostafa Kamal Stadium today after India and Iran kick off the qualifying campaign at the same venue in Kamalapur earlier in the day.

The hosts, unlike their opponents, did not play any practice match for this campaign. Instead they had one and a half months of practice. Whatever the outcome will be, the hosts are willing to produce a good show in the event. With that end, they have been practising with ten of their players from the national side, five of whom will be representing the under-19 side.

The team's captain, Mainu Marma is one of those five who knows there is not much to lose for them, though has set a target for them to achieve.

“Our target is to play well, to play according to our practice, and to get at least a point from each match,” said Mainu.

Though Bangladesh's national women's side have played their Indian counterparts before, losing their last encounter 7-0 earlier this year, the young women have never met before. Their knowledge about the opponents amounts only to watching videotapes of those teams.

But the captain and team officials feel that the young women have improved in terms of skill and technique in recent time and that will enable them to put up a much better showing, not only against the neighbours but also against the two Middle Eastern teams.

Bangladesh's opponents in the opening day are Jordan who have targeted winning all three games to qualify for the next round. Having taken up the game just five years ago, Jordanian under-19 team qualified for the main competition in their first attempt in 2006. Aya Al Magaly, the tall captain of the Jordan team, informed that they had two months of training in which time they played against the national women's team. Speaking of opponents, she said they don't have any knowledge about the hosts, but thinks Iran and India are at a same level as Jordan.

India coach Shukla Dutta called her charges as a disciplined and dedicated bunch who had a rigorous training of one and a half months where they emphasised on improving technical skills.

Only the captain of the side, Kamala Devi, has the experience of representing the national women's side. Kamala was part of the side for the SA Games when they beat hosts Bangladesh 7-0 earlier this year. Being an attacking midfielder herself, Kamala wants to see her side to top the group with maximum points.

The other team in the group are Iran who like Jordan have started taking up the game only four years ago but made some good progress in this time. They have had the longest practice for this campaign among the teams. In the last four months they have played couple of matches against a Thai club.

The four teams will take on each other once in the round robin league system from where the top team will advance to the second round.

The other group comprises Philippines, Myanmar, Hong Kong and Uzbekistan.

The second round of qualifiers will be held from October 21 to 30 in Kuala Lumpur.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesig...php?nid=155159

All of us should get behind our girls today as they take on Jordan..will be quite a challenge but I believe the girls will show a lot of fight..great to see our captain being a Marma as well..I've always been sympathetic to the tribals and great to see that we give opportunity to minority groups..LETS GO BD

[akabir77]

so any link. i saw ntv news that iran was 4-2 to india and bd was 1-2 against Gordan but bd game was still on.

[Tiger444]

Unfortunately the girls suffered a terrible defeat..

Hosts Bangladesh and neighbours India made disastrous start in the AFC U-19 Women's Football Championship when they were thrashed by their middle-eastern counterparts at the Birshreshtha Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur yesterday. Bangladesh were humiliated by Jordan with a 1-6 drubbing, thanks to a hattrick from Shahnaz Yaseen after India were outplayed by Iran 2-4, courtesy of a Farhadhikhah Parvin hattrick.

It looked like a fairy tale start for Bangladesh when Sabina Khatun gave her side a surprise lead in the ninth minute of the match under floodlights. But since then it all went downhill for the hosts as the physically more powerful Jordanians stamped their authority as the game went on.

Jordan captain Ayah Faisal equalised from a spot kick in the 35th before Shahnaz Yaseen made it 2-1 with a grounder in the 38th minute.

Shahnaz increased the margin in the 65th minute before striker Shatha Wahbi made it 4-1 in the 75th and Maysam Muhseen struck the fifth in the 88th minute.

Shahnaz, playing in the right wing, completed her treble and rout in the stoppage time.

Earlier in the day, the qualifiers kicked off with the game between India and Iran. More than the game itself, the spectators eager to watch how the girls from an Islamic Republic clad under hijab would fare.

And they were amused to find the girls who had been playing the game for no more than four years show sublime skills mixed with their towering physical presence to dominate their south Asian counterparts.

The Iranians came within a whisker of an opener in the fourth minute of the game when midfielder Tanin Naraghi entered the Indian danger zone from the right and unleashed a fierce drive that the Indian goalkeeper Sita Sharma thwarted out for a throw-in.

Naraghi, however, kept the Indian defenders busy releasing one cross after another from the right wing before being ruled out through an injury at a latter stage of the game.

Maryam Rahimi, nucleus of the Iranian midfield, along with captain Zahra Ghanbari, Naraghi and Ghashieh Samaneh led Iran to enjoy superior ball possession that eventually helped them take the lead in the 17th minute through Farhadhikah Parvin. Parvin, availing a long-ball from the midfield, danced past defender Bijaya to fire home from inside the box to take Iran to a 1-0 lead.

India almost hit back the following minute when Bindyarani got one on one with the Iranian goalkeeper Maryam Yektaei yet fired straight at the goalkeeper to spoil an easy chance. She got in on the act though eight minutes later when flicking a corner from Rojina Khatun for the equaliser.

Four minutes later, Iran took the lead again when Naraghi whipped a vicious cross from the right for Samaneh who square-passed it to Farhadikhah and the midfielder found the back of the net with a grounder from inside the box.

After resumption, Indian girls looked more organised and snatched the equaliser in the 52nd minute through a placing shot taken by Rina, who cleverly placed the ball to the right-hand net of the advancing Iranian goalkeeper.

But, despite being taking the upper hand through the equalizer, India failed to keep momentum against the fitter and technically superior Iranians. The middle eastern girls scored a third when substitute Shadi Bahrami coolly chipped one over the keeper from outside the box on the hour mark before Farhadikhah completed her treble in the 70th minute and earned a convincing win in their opening outing.

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesig...php?nid=155312

[Habib]

It's all physical. Oh yeah.

[Habib]

BD U-19 women team let 6 goals each match & 18 goals in total into their goalpost. They only scored once against Jordan. Iran has become the champion in the qualifier & India the runners up.

[FagunerAgun]

Originally Posted by Habib
BD U-19 women team let 6 goals each match & 18 goals in total into their goalpost. They only scored once against Jordan. Iran has become the champion in the qualifier & India the runners up.

Thanks Habib for the info.

[Rabz]

Atleast, we were very consistent in 'goal khawa'.
6 per match.