Bangladesh upbeat about defending SAFF title

Bangladesh are upbeat about defending their title of SAFF Women's Championship as they square off against Nepal in today's final at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu today, with the match kicking off at 6:45pm Bangladesh time.

Bangladesh's disappointing 1-1 draw against Pakistan in their tournament opener and midfielder Monica Chakma's subsequent comments to media regarding the team's head coach had apparently reflected an unhappy family.

However, everything started changing with the crucial match against India where coach Peter Butler kept his faith on the experienced guns, who totally outclassed the five-time champions to step into the semifinals with a big 3-1 win before storming into the final with a 7-1 thrashing of Bhutan.

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Final is a 50-50 game, says Tohura

"Having crossed different odds, the girls have come to this stage and I always try to motivate them and try to keep them united on the ground so that they can fully focus on the game. I think there will be no shortage of anything on the ground tomorrow [Wednesday] and we will be trying to play the way we have played in the last three matches," captain Sabina Khatun said at the pre-match press conference yesterday.

"I think the crowd will enjoy the match because it will not be easy for either side. It will be a tough match -- a 50-50 game," said the experienced campaigner.

Coach Peter focused on the process to be right in the final.

"A lot of respect to the opposition Nepal in terms of their unity. I think there will be a lot of our factors involved in the game tomorrow but our belief is that we go with the right attitude and the right focus and talents. We hope we will give a good account of ourselves," the Englishman said.

Bangladesh are just one hurdle away from being crowned back-to-back champions and proving that their maiden title two years ago was not a fluke.

Former coach Golam Rabbani Choton's charges were not the favourites two years ago either, but they did beat the home side, cheered on by a vocal crowd, 3-1 to win the title for the first time. These two teams have played against each other three times since, all of those matches ending in draws.

"Playing in front of a big crowd is disadvantage for the away team, especially when the away team comprises of younger players who will go through a new environment tomorrow. However, they have experience of playing here before," Sabina said. "I think the hosts will be under pressure playing in front of their own crowd."

Nepalese forward Sabitra Bhandari, who scored the equaliser against India in the semifinals, is expected to a be big threat for Bangladesh. However, the suspension to on-form Nepalese forward Rekha Poudel will be a big relief for the women in red and green.