Bangladesh has officially qualified for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup for the first time in its football history. The team pulled off a stunning 2–1 win against Myanmar in a crucial Group C match on Wednesday.
Ritu Porna Chakma starred for Bangladesh, scoring both goals to secure the historic victory. Despite Myanmar being ranked 73 places higher in the FIFA rankings, they couldn’t stop Bangladesh’s momentum. Myanmar managed to score a goal late in the match, but it wasn’t enough to avoid defeat.
With this result, Bangladesh now stands at the top of the group with 6 points from 2 games. Even with one game remaining against Turkmenistan, they are guaranteed to finish first due to their head-to-head win over Myanmar. Myanmar, sitting on just 3 points, will not be able to overtake Bangladesh, even if they win their final match against Bahrain.
This is a groundbreaking achievement for the team, as they were unable to progress past the qualifiers in both the 2014 and 2022 editions. Now, they have made history by securing a place in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026.
Bangladesh’s women’s football team has been steadily rising in recent years. The team had already defeated Nepal in the finals of the SAFF Women’s Championship in both 2022 and 2024, blocking Nepal’s title hopes.
The qualification for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup not only marks a new chapter for Bangladesh football but also reflects the rapid progress and growing strength of women’s football in the country.
