Bhutan wrapped up their campaign at the SAFF U-20 Women’s Championship 2025 with a 5-0 win against Sri Lanka in their final match today in Bangladesh. This victory marked their second win of the tournament, having earlier won against the same team in their first encounter. Bhutan finishes third in the standings with six points from six matches. Although they didn’t win the title, the tournament was a key learning experience for Bhutan as the team prepares for the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, which Bhutan will host at Changlimithang Stadium next month.
The SAFF U-20 Women’s Championship followed a double round-robin format, with Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and hosts Bangladesh each playing one another twice.
Bhutan’s campaign began with a 1-6 defeat to Nepal on July 11. They bounced back strongly with a dominant 5-0 win over Sri Lanka two days later.
However, Bhutan then faced tough results, losing 1-4 to Bangladesh, 0-3 in the return match against the same opponent, and suffering a heavy 0-8 loss to Nepal in their second meeting.
While Bhutan managed just two wins from six matches, the team has shown grit and potential.
The team will now shift its focus to the upcoming AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, which will be played at Changlimithang Stadium starting next month.
“This SAFF tournament gave us valuable experience ahead of the AFC qualifiers. Although the results didn’t meet our expectations, it helped us identify our mistakes and areas for improvement,” said Kelden Wangmo, Captain, U-20 Women’s Football team, Bhutan.
“We couldn’t fully meet our coach’s expectations during the tournament. But now, we’re focused on correcting those mistakes and aiming to perform better in the AFC competition,” said Diktsha Rai, Goalkeeper, U-20 Women’s Football team, Bhutan.
In the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers, Bhutan is placed in Group A alongside Nepal, Mongolia, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia.
A total of 33 teams, divided into eight groups, will compete in the tournament.
The eight group winners and the three best second-placed teams will join hosts Thailand in the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup scheduled for April next year.
Namgay Wangdi
Edited by Tandin Phuntsho
