Butler chooses reality over Asian Games medal dreams

Bangladesh's women’s football team are not dreaming of winning medals at the upcoming Asian Games, head coach Peter Butler said on Monday, urging his players to be realistic while using the tournament to test themselves against the continent's best.

The British coach spoke to reporters at the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) headquarters in Dhaka before the squad flew to China for a 11-day preparation camp.

"We have to be realistic. We are not at that level yet. We are punching well above our weight," Butler said when asked about their medal chances.

Despite the reality check, Butler praised his side's remarkable progress over the past two and a half years, describing it as the finest period in the country's football history.

"The girls have done remarkably well. It is probably the most successful era in Bangladesh football history, both men and women. I take a lot of comfort and optimism from that," he said.

During their camp in China, Bangladesh will play two practice matches against top Chinese club Guangzhou FC to prepare for the tournament.

"To go to China is a great opportunity. I thank the BFF for making this happen," Butler said. "We need more chances like this going to China and playing against quality teams."

Butler stressed that Bangladesh will not improve if they only play regional sides like Bhutan, Sri Lanka, or the Maldives.

Drawn in a tough group alongside North Korea, South Korea, and Myanmar, the coach admitted the challenge is huge. Although Bangladesh beat Myanmar last year, Butler refused to label them an easy target.

"We have three games. The most important thing is that you learn the most when you play against good and strong teams," he said. "Myanmar are also very strong. No match will be easy."

Butler is also not afraid of taking on Asian heavyweights North Korea, even if it leads to a heavy loss.

"Even if we lose by a big margin, I want to play against them. Because our girls need to understand what is on the other side of the fence. To improve, you have to understand how good the opponent is," he explained.

He expects the warm-up fixtures against Guangzhou FC to offer a similar lesson in physical and tactical standards.

"Guangzhou are very strong," Butler said. "What matters most to me is testing ourselves against teams that have different qualities, different strengths, and different physical power."

The coach also expressed his disappointment with the national players who recently featured for Rajshahi Stars in the AFC Women's Champions League, pointing out that the team went into the tournament without enough preparation.

"To be honest, I was bitterly disappointed. The way they played, I was really disappointed," Butler said.

However, the coach wants his team to put past mistakes behind them and focus on fighting hard against Asia's top teams, regardless of the final score.