Butler seeks credibility against North Korea

The English tactician, Butler, penetrated learnings, credibility, and a pathway forward.  

Bangladesh women’s football team face a daunting test against Asian powerhouse North Korea on Monday as they begin their 20th Asian Games campaign in Aichi-Nagoya.

The Group F match will kick off at 1:00 pm Bangladesh time at Nagai Stadium in Osaka.

Bangladesh are making only their second appearance at the Asian Games after their debut at Hangzhou 2022. They are also the first contingent of Bangladesh’s 22-discipline squad to arrive in Japan.

Speaking at Sunday’s pre-match press conference, head coach Peter Butler urged his players to be realistic about the challenge while making the most of the opportunity to test themselves against top opposition.

The Englishman praised the hospitality in Osaka and said his young players would relish the chance to play at a quality venue, regardless of the size of the crowd.

Bangladesh women have been handed a brutal group, with North Korea and South Korea joined by a higher-ranked Myanmar side. Butler plans to use a youthful line-up, with tournament exposure and development taking priority over results.

“Irrespective of the outcome and the results, we’re here to experience, learn and grow from the opportunities which are presented in front of us,” the head coach said.

He also praised North Korea’s well-funded and deeply resourced football structure, saying the two countries were “worlds apart” in terms of their footballing landscape.

“Be honest with ourselves, nobody gives us a cat in hell’s chance or gives us any hope of winning, and that may be the case,” Butler said. “But it’s all about learning, credibility and putting in a positive shift tomorrow.”

Bangladesh will face South Korea on 17 September and Myanmar on 21 September in their remaining group matches.

“I think the expectation is more credibility rather than result-oriented,” Butler concluded. “We have to be realistic. We don’t have a league, and we have to be honest and pragmatic about what we hope and what we wish for.”