Sagorika hattrick saves Bangladesh’s blushes

Young forward Mosammat Sagorika came off the bench and scored a hattrick as Bangladesh women's football team came back from a goal down to beat Bhutan 5-1 in the first of two FIFA friendly matches in Thimphu on Wednesday night.

The best player and top scorer of the SAFF Women's U-19 Championship, which was held in Dhaka in February this year, scored the equaliser early in the second half before adding two more goals late in the game as Bangladesh avoided a potential banana skin at the Changlimthang Stadium in Bhutan's capital.

It was the first victory under British coach Peter Butler, who saw his side suffer 4-0 and a 1-0 defeats against Chinese Taipei at home in his first assignment in May-June.

Buttler was full of praise of the young forward as she changed the game on its head after Bangladesh had conceded a sloppy girl in the first half and failed to mount a challenge against a side 23 places below them in FIFA ranking.

"Sagorika is a special talent. We've been warming her in the wings. The style of football that we want to play really suits her because she's very quick over 5-10-15 metres," Butler said at the post-match press conference.  

Bangladesh conceded their first ever goal against the South Asian minnows – having gone 20-0 in the previous four matches -- in the 13th minute of the game when Bhutan captain Pema Tshering profited from some disastrous communication error between Bangladesh goalkeeper Rupna Chakma and the defence.

"We made a few sloppy errors, mistakes – self-inflicted. I think at times we tried to play in areas where there wasn't really on to play," the coach said, adding that he made some tactical changes in the second half after "a bit of prompting from the team management."

While Bangladesh turned things around in the second half with veteran skipper Sabina Khatun and winger Ritu Porna Chakma also getting on the scoresheet, they also wasted a few more chances late in the game.

Butler felt his side 'lacked cutting edge in the first half' and could not gauge the opposition's style of play.

"I think we misunderstood a team who play very different to what we play. They're big and strong and they play very direct. We work on more passing movement pattern," Butler said.

The British coach, however, was pleased with the result.

"Pleased with the outcome. It's one game down but we've got one more game and it could possibly be a completely different team. A younger team for the second game," said Butler.

The second match will be held at the same venue on July 27.