Bangladesh will be looking to secure their third consecutive title of the SAFF Women’s Championship when they take on the five-time champions and hosts India in the final of the tournament at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa today.

The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm (Bangladesh Standard Time), and T-sports will broadcast it live.

Bangladesh’s road to the final was far from smooth. Despite numerous challenges, including internal distractions, off-field issues, and a dip in performance, Bangladesh managed to reach the final of the continental event.

The 2022 and 2024 champions suffered their first setback when they were defeated 3-0 by India in the group stage, but their hard-fought 2-1 victory over Nepal in the semi-final boosted them.

‘At the end of the day, we’re in the final… It’s about dealing with the circumstances, managing the conditions and, more importantly, getting the desired result,’ said coach Peter Butler at the pre-final press conference on Friday.

Butler, who did not field key players in the previous match against India, said he was unbothered by the last match’s result.

‘Tomorrow (Saturday) is a completely different scenario. There is no correlation with the previous game when we lost to India. If you really analyse the game, which I do, you’ll find that it wasn’t really a true reflection of the game.’

‘Sometimes it’s not about playing beautiful football when you’re in competition mode; it’s about getting over the line… I can assure you the best teams invariably don’t play the greatest football in their journey along the pathway to success,’ Butler defended his charges.

Bangladesh captain Maria Manda promised to give their best against the hosts.

‘Since we are in the final now, and we know India is a very strong team, we are preparing accordingly… We have prepared ourselves so that we can fight,’ said Maria.

‘As a captain and as a player, it is a matter of great joy that I have received this opportunity. We have won two SAFF titles in the past, and now the chance has come for the third time. Not everyone gets such a chance. In the final match, we will fight for the best,’ said Maria.

Butler’s charges beat Maldives 4-2 in their Group B opening match after India earned a crushing 11-0 win over Maldives in their first match of the group.

India reached the final by beating Group A runners-up Bhutan 1-0 in the semi-final and will be eyeing their sixth title.

Bangladesh eliminated six-time finalists Nepal with their super-sub Sagorika’s last-gasp winner deep into stoppage time, following forward Ritu Porna Chakma’s brilliant Olympic goal.