Late fightback earns Bangladesh point against Bhutan

Bangladesh played out an exciting 3-3 draw against Bhutan in their second match of the SAFF Women’s Futsal Championship on Saturday in Bangkok, Thailand. Despite falling behind twice during the match, Sabina Khatun’s side showed strong character to fight back and secure a valuable point.

Bhutan took an early lead in the fifth minute when Deki Lhazom found the net. Bangladesh responded quickly, equalising just two minutes later through Matsushima Sumaya, who scored with an impressive long-range strike from midfield. The first half ended with the scoreline level at 1-1.

Bangladesh created several goal-scoring opportunities at the start of the second half but failed to capitalise. Bhutan then made the most of their chances, scoring two goals within three minutes to go 3-1 ahead.

However, the Bangladeshi players refused to give up. Captain Sabina pulled one back in the 35th minute to bring her team back into the contest. Just a minute later, Masura Parvin scored the equaliser, completing an impressive comeback for Bangladesh.

Both teams pushed hard for a late winner in the closing minutes, but neither could break the deadlock, and the match ended in a 3-3 draw, with both sides settling for a point.

Earlier, Bangladesh had made a strong start to the tournament by defeating India 3-1 in their opening match. Bhutan, meanwhile, had drawn 1-1 with Pakistan in their first game.

Six teams are participating in both the men’s and women’s SAFF Futsal Championships. Each team will play five matches, and the team with the highest points at the end of the round-robin stage will be crowned champions. After two games, Bangladesh’s women’s team have collected four points. Sabina's side will next face Nepal in their third match of the tournament on Monday, as they look to continue their push for the SAFF Women’s Futsal title.