Maria eyes lessons, not excuses

Bangladesh captain Maria Manda insisted her side will learn from their record defeat against North Korea as the team returned to training on Tuesday ahead of their next Asian Games matches.

Bangladesh suffered their heaviest loss in history on Monday, beaten 10-0 by three-time champions North Korea in their Group F opener in Osaka.

The squad quickly got back to work on Tuesday morning at the J-GREEN Sakai sports facility, starting preparations for their second group fixture against South Korea on Thursday.

Speaking after the morning session, Maria struck a calm and constructive tone, admitting that facing one of the continent's powerhouses was a hard reality check.

"They are a very good team, and we tried to give our best," Maria said. "We did what we could on the pitch. You learn a lot when you play against such top teams."

The midfielder stressed that the squad must look ahead and understand the standard required to compete at the highest level.

"We have a long way to go," Maria added. "To fight against teams of that quality, we need much better preparation in the future."

The heavy defeat came after British head coach Peter Butler opted to rest several regular starters, including Ritu Porna Chakma and Monika Chakma, handing starts to teenage newcomers instead. North Korea took full control early on, scoring three goals in the opening 18 minutes and leading 7-0 at the break.

Butler admitted his side were outpaced and outplayed by a superior opponent, noting that he always viewed their final group game as the primary objective.

Bangladesh take on South Korea on Thursday in Sakai, before concluding their Group F campaign against Myanmar on 21 September.