First match is always very important: GK coach Masud

Bangladesh U-20 women's football team's goal keeper coach Masud Ahmed said he is considering the first match as important because winning the first match would help his team to go to the next round.

"We are thinking match by match ... The first match is always very important for us ... We are focusing on the first match because a winning start will help us to the next round," said the goal keeper coach Masud Ahmed through a video message from Laos after the team's training session on Monday.

"Actually our target is to play in the final round of the competition and we are thinking match by match. As our two opponents teams will face each other before our first match. So, we'll have the opportunity to do more analysis on them. So, lets' see what happens in the upcoming matches," he added.

The goalkeeping coach said works have been down on defending and attacking approach on the second day's training and it was overall a good training session.

The U-20 women team, which put in Group H along with strong South Korea, Timor-Leste and hosts Laos, will start their qualifying round of the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup campaign taking on hosts Laos Wednesday.

The girls in red and green will play their remaining group matches against Timor-Leste and stronger South Korea on August 8 and 10 respectively. 
All the matches will be held at New Laos National Stadium in Vientiane, Laos.

Earlier, Bangladesh women's football team reached in Laos to take part in the qualifying round of the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers 2026.

A total of thirty-three Asian teams, divided into eight groups, will compete in the first phase of the tournament. Later, eight group champions and the best three group runners-up teams will play in the 12-team final round with hosts Thailand.

The final round of the biennial international youth football championship, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the women's under-20 national teams of Asia, will be held in Thailand next year.

Bangladesh is reportedly bring the same squad in the ensuing U-20 Asian Cup that played in the SAFF U-20 Women's Champions Bangladesh team recently.

The top four teams of the tournament will qualify for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup to be held Poland as the AFC representatives.

Bangladesh Women's Football team is now passing through a golden time in the history of Bangladesh football, making records one after another in the recent time.

Bangladesh senior women's football team, which tasted their maiden victory in the AFC Women's Asian Cup crushing higher-ranked Bahrain by 7-0 goals earlier this month and finally made their first-ever final round berth in the 12-team AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026 as the unbeaten group champions shocking a much superior and hosts Myanmar.

Bangladesh senior women's football team also brought laurels for the country by winning the SAFF Women's championship for the 2nd successive times last year.

Bangladesh squad -- Mile Akter, Mst Fardosi Akter Shonale, Swarna Rani Mandal, Afeida Khandakar, Mst Ruma Akter, Kanom Akter, Mst Joynob Bibi Rita, Mst Surma Jannat, Mst Oeyshi Khatun, Ayonto Bala Mahato, Kanon Rani Bahadur, Nadia Akter Juti, Mst Bonna Khatun, Nabiran Khatun, Shanti Mardi, Rupa Akter, Most Munki Akhter, Sapna Rani, Sinha Jahan Shikha, Mst Sagorika, Umehla Marma,Puja Das and Sree Moti Trishna Rani.