'Delivered on the promise that I'd bring SAFF'

Bangladesh national women's football team's head coach Peter Butler said he has delivered on the promise of bringing the SAFF Women's Championship title home.

Speaking to reporters outside the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport following the team's triumphant return from Nepal today, the Englishman said he was delighted that the team won playing excellent football through complete teamwork.

Butler, who initially came to Bangladesh as the head coach of the BFF Elite Academy, was given the charge of the women's team in March this year after interim coach Saiful Bari Titu was made technical director of the Bangladesh Football Federation. Butler's contract runs out in December this year, and even though he did not say anything regarding the issue, he was he was delighted to have lived up to his promise.

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"Looking back, Mr President (former BFF president Kazi Salahuddin) and Ms Kiron (BFF Women's wing chairman) asked me to do a favour to help the girls. I did it. I promised I'd bring SAFF and I've delivered on that promise," Butler said in his reaction.

The former West Ham United player emphasised on the manner in which his team won the title, bouncing back from a 1-1 draw in their first match before beating India, Bhutan and Nepal comfortably.

Coach Peter Butler emerges from the airport with captain Sabina Khatun holding the champions trophy and Ritu Porna Chakma holding the best player's award. Photo: Prabir Das

"It's not the fact that we won it, it's the fact how we won it," Butler said. "We won it playing really good football, beginning from Day 1. Whatever team we've put out were competitive, everybody played their part, from under unbder-23 squad. I've always said you're never going to win it with 11 players, you need your full squad."

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The 58-year-old coach, who will likely sit with the new BFF president Tabith Awal soon regarding his contract, hoped that this victory would put some smile back on the faces of the people of Bangladesh.

"For the people of Bangladesh, for what they have gone through recently, I think it will give everybody a little bit of something to cheer about, to smile about and be happy," Butler added.