Girls make history in style

‘Girls can do it too. Girls are the ones who can.’

As the final whistle blew in the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal, the commentator uttered those words to signify Bangladesh’s historic SAFF Championship-winning moment.

While the men’s football team have written one story after another of frustration and disappointment, the women’s team just went on to win the SAFF Championship with utter ease. They were determined, they dominated, and they made history without flinching even once as they won the trophy without budging.

It’s not that they can do it too. It’s that they are the only ones to do it in recent history.

Bangladesh were the champions in every aspect of the tournament. They scored the most goals, they conceded the least, and they played a brand of football that was mesmerising.

Take the final alone. The first goal was a thing of beauty. Monika Chakma’s turn on the right wing, commonly known as the Cruyff turn, took out two defenders with one swift touch, and then her perfect cross with the right foot met a brilliant right-footed finish from Shamsunnahar Jr, who was on the pitch for barely five minutes.

That proved another incredible side of the team. Everybody knew their job and did it perfectly. And thus, rankings did not matter.

India are 58th in the FIFA rankings. Nepal 102nd. Bangladesh? 147th. Yet, on the pitch, the other two had no reply when Sabina Khatun and co came running at them.

Bangladesh’s biggest achievement before this time was the final defeat to India in 2016. Before the tournament, skipper Sabina had promised that they would make that showing a distant memory.

And they kept their word, with Sabina herself leading the line. She scored eight times in the tournament, including two hat-tricks. And while she didn’t find the net in the final, she set up the second goal from Srimoti Krishnarani Sarker with a pin-point through ball.

Both of Krishna’s goals were displays of elite-level finishing as she kept her cool, and two goals came from two feet- the first with the left, the second with the right.

Throughout the tournament, Bangladesh’s attacking play has caught everyone’s eye. And they were so good at pinning down their opponents, that their defence, especially their goalkeeper Rupna Chakma, had little to do.

But they had to in the final as Nepal, in their home ground, came all guns blazing in the second half. And Rupna saw them eye-to-eye to guard Bangladesh’s goal.

Her injury, juxtaposed with Nepal’s new-found attacking urge, made her work more than throughout the tournament, but she did not flinch. She kept making saves, claiming high crosses, and sweeping ahead to make sure Bangladesh did not lose the game.

Throughout the tournament, Bangladesh played in such a manner that there were no questions about who the deserving champions were. The girls in red and green made the trophy theirs and made sure that nobody could question their authority.

Before the final, Bangladesh forward Sanjida Akter posted an emotional message on her Facebook page before the final.

She wrote, “We will not play the final as footballers, we will fight as 11 fighters. Many of this team have come here losing their father, with the last resource of their mother, by selling their sister’s jewellery, as the family’s only income source.

“We are used to fighting for our lives. We will fight till the last moment for the South Asian crown. The result is in God’s hands. But our effort will be 100%.”

And they showed it on the field. They fought for everything on a pitch that did not suit their football. But they did not give up. They found the holes, they took every opportunity they got, and even when Nepal were seemingly finding a way back, they held on to their nerves, and delivered the killing blow.

Bangladesh were hungry for the trophy. And they materialised to win it, with as much flair and flamboyance possible. And they will not stop. They will keep going. They will keep winning.