Dhaka: Bangladesh team will leave here for India on Monday noon to take part in the seven-nation SAFF Women’s Championship scheduled to be held at Kanchenjunga Stadium in Siliguri.

Bangladesh will start their campaign taking on Afghanistan on December 29 and face India on December 31 in the three-team involving Group-B matches.  

Nepal and Bhutan will play the tournament opener on Monday to start their Group-A campaign. Sri Lanka and Maldives are the two other ‘Group-A’ teams.

Top two teams from each group will qualify the semifinals where Group-A champion will play Group-B runners-up team and Group-B champion will face Group-A runners-up side. Both semifinals will be held on January 2, 2017. 

The final game is scheduled to be held on January 4, 2017.

Bangladesh captain Sabina Khatun aims qualifying the semifinals first and then will look forward to the title.  

“We have to beat Afghanistan and reach the semis first, and then we will look forward. People cannot underestimate the Bangladesh team now. We are ready to give full efforts for a good show,” the captain was talking to journalists in the pre-tour press conference at Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) House on Saturday.   

Head Coach Golam Rabbani Choton confidently expected a good show from his girls and said, “Bangladesh is a team to be reckoned.”

The coach informed that they had three months for preparation camp that started with 34 players, finally formed a 20-member team.

The squad is a blending of junior and senior players, including 15 experienced players who early played for the national team. The coach wanted to depend on teamwork for better outcome.

BFF women's football committee chairman Mahfuza Akter Kiron and BFF general secretary Abu Nyeem Sohag also spoke on the occasion.

20-member Bangladesh team: Sabina Akter (captain), Sheuli Azim, Shamsunnahar, Nargis Khatun, Masura Parvin, Sanjida Akter, Mainu Marma, Ishrat Jahan Mousumi, Sabina Khatun, Sirat Jahan Sapna, Marzia, Krishna Rani, Nilufa Yasmin Neela, Maria Manda, Anai Mogini, Israt Jahan Ratna, Anichuning Mogini, Rowshan Ara, Munmun Akter and Mahmuda Akter.