Bangladesh Under-20 women鈥檚 football team鈥檚 qualification hopes for the 2026 finals were in serious doubt after they suffered a crushing 6-1 loss to South Korea in their final Group H fixture of the AFC U-20 Women鈥檚 Asian Cup Qualifiers at the Lao National Stadium KM16 in Vientiane on Sunday.
The eight group winners and three best runners-up will join hosts Thailand in the tournament final.
Korea, with nine points and a +15 goal difference have sealed the top spot in the group, while Bangladesh finished second on six points with a +5 goal difference. Bangladesh鈥檚 fate now depends on results from other groups.
Coach Peter Butler fielded an unchanged XI from the side that defeated Laos 3-1 and Timor-Leste 8-0.
Bangladesh made a bright start, launching the first attack of the game when forward Sagorika broke through in the opening minute, but her effort was thwarted by the onrushing Korean goalkeeper.
Bangladesh struck first in the 15th minute. A swift counter saw Sagorika and Shanti Mardi exchange passes before Shanti squared the ball from the left side of the box.
It slipped under the Korean keeper鈥檚 hands, allowing Trishna Rani to tap into the empty net, sparking wild celebrations from Bangladeshi expatriates in the stands.
But the joy was short-lived. Just three minutes later, a long ball over Bangladesh鈥檚 high defensive line set the Korean forwards free, and they levelled with ease.
Korea grew in dominance thereafter, forcing captain Afeida Khandaker and goalkeeper Swarna Rani into several key interventions.
In first-half stoppage time, Swarna bravely rushed off her line to block a certain goal, while the Koreans also wasted multiple chances.
The second half, however, belonged entirely to the Koreans. Bangladesh鈥檚 defensive line repeatedly crumbled under sustained pressure.
Cho Hyeyoung restored Korea鈥檚 lead in the 48th minute and doubled her tally in the 60th, capitalising on another long-ball lapse.
The floodgates opened in the final minutes. Captain Kim Hyojin converted a penalty in the 86th and scored a free header in the 90th, before Jin Hyerin added a sixth deep into stoppage time.
The defeat means Bangladesh must now wait anxiously for other results to see if they can progress as one of the best runners-up.
