'You’re only as strong as your bench sometimes'

Bangladesh Under-19 Women cruised into the SAFF U-19 Championship final with a dominant 4–0 victory over hosts Nepal, maintaining a perfect record and underlining their depth, much to the satisfaction of head coach Peter Butler.

Already assured of a top-two finish, Butler rang in seven changes, prioritising squad rotation and recovery — a move he later described as vital for long-term success.

“You’re only as strong as your bench sometimes,” Butler said. “I decided to make seven changes… I wanted it to basically find out a few learning outcomes in terms of players—are they going to be good enough to step up? And I think that objective was achieved.”

Bangladesh struck early through Protima Munda before goals from Alpi Akter sealed control, despite Nepal attempting to fight back with typical intensity.

“You always have to fight against Nepal because they are fighters,” Butler noted. “I thought our girls matched them for effort and commitment, especially in the first 15 to 20 minutes.”

The coach reserved special praise for his rotated back line, highlighting Momita, Protima and Sorovi for their composed performances.

“I thought Momita was outstanding. Protima was excellent. Sorovi came in and did a really, really good job,” he said, calling the outing a valuable learning exercise.

Bangladesh topped the group with nine points from three matches, scoring 18 goals without conceding. India finished second on six points after hammering Bhutan 8–0 to book the other final berth.

Butler also allowed himself a wry smile at the prospect of facing India again in the final.

“It’s a bit unfair, ain’t it? We’ve beat them once, now we’ve got to go and beat them again,” he said, before quickly switching focus to the challenge ahead.

Butler, however, warned against complacency ahead of the title clash on 7 February.

“India have got some good players. They’re strong, tall, physical — it’ll be a tough game,” he said. “Now we’ve just got to keep the girls’ feet on the ground.”

Bangladesh had earlier beaten India 2–0 in the group stage, giving Butler’s side both confidence and momentum heading into the final.