After failing to qualify, Bangladesh U-17 women’s team depart Amman for home

Bangla Press Desk:  The Bangladesh U-17 Women’s National Football Team are on their way back home after completing their AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers campaign in Jordan. The team departed from Amman on Saturday evening at 6:10 pm local time (9:10 pm Bangladesh time) via Dubai, and are scheduled to arrive in Dhaka at 8:40 am on Sunday.

Prior to the qualifiers, Bangladesh had a promising preparation camp in the United Arab Emirates, where they registered commanding victories in two warm-up matches against Syria and hosts UAE. Head coach Saiful Bari Titu had described the team’s preparation as “complete” before heading to Jordan. However, the on-field performance told a different story.

In their opening match, Bangladesh started brightly against hosts Jordan and took an early lead, but conceded a late goal to settle for a 1–1 draw. The lack of sharpness in attack and finishing was evident throughout the game. Facing Chinese Taipei in their final and decisive match on Friday, Bangladesh needed a win to qualify for the main round in China — but instead endured a heavy 5–0 defeat. Taipei dominated from start to finish, leaving Bangladesh struggling to contain their attacks.

The disappointing outcome, despite solid preparation, has raised questions about the team’s tactical approach and overall quality. Coach Titu, however, had earlier emphasized that the main objective of this campaign was to gain experience for the future. Bangladesh Football Federation’s Women’s Wing Chairperson Mahfuza Akhter Kiron also noted before the tournament that expectations were modest, as the team could not undergo ideal preparation due to time and resource constraints.

BP/SP