Bangladesh’s under-17 women begin their bid for the AFC Asian Cup with a meeting against hosts Jordan on Monday night, as captain Arpita Biswas and her teammates look to script a new chapter in the country’s women’s game. 

The qualifier opens for Saiful Bari Titu’s side at Aqaba Stadium at 10:00 p.m. Bangladesh time.

Jordan are no strangers to Bangladesh. Only a few months ago, the senior women’s team drew 2-2 away to Jordan and held Indonesia 0-0 on the same tour—results that the under-17s believe add to their confidence.

To sharpen up before the qualifiers, Bangladesh staged a short training camp in the United Arab Emirates, where they beat Syria 2-0 and the hosts 3-0 in warm-up matches.

Preparation and belief are the squad’s chief assets. Since arriving in Jordan, the red-and-greens have trained intensively from Friday. Coach Titu said the successes of the senior and under-20 women—both of whom reached the Asian Cup—are driving this group forward: the players know their predecessors made the finals and want to continue that trajectory.

The assignment, however, is formidable. In Group H, Bangladesh face Jordan and Chinese Taipei—both higher in the FIFA women’s rankings, with Chinese Taipei at 42 and Jordan at 76, compared to Bangladesh at 104. Despite the gap, Bangladesh insist they are ready to compete.

Only the group winners progress to the finals, making every fixture decisive. “It’s undoubtedly a tough group, but our girls are prepared,” Titu said. “We want to prove our ability on the pitch.”

Bangladesh open against Jordan today and conclude the group against Chinese Taipei on October 17, with Jordan meeting Chinese Taipei on October 15.

SMS/