Trishna Rani’s impressive hat-trick led Bangladesh to a crushing 8-0 win over Timor-Leste in the AFC Under-20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers’ Group H encounter at the Laos National Stadium KM16 in Vientiane on Friday.
Apart from Trishna, midfielders Sinha Jahan Shikha, Shanti Mardi, Munki Akhter, and forwards Nabiran Khatun and Sagorika each scored once for Bangladesh’s second consecutive win in the group stage, following their 3-1 victory over the host Laos.
This win put Bangladesh at the top of the four-team group, with six points from two matches, and level with South Korea but they are ahead due to a goal difference after South Korea beat Laos 1-0 in the other game.
Bangladesh will face favourites South Korea at the same venue on Sunday and they just need a draw to qualify directly for the 12-team final stage.
Butler acknowledged that South Korea is tough opponent but remained confident that his team would give their best.
‘We are competing against South Korea, finally (going to) face really polished outfit, a good team, great quality. On paper, we are not on their level,’ said Butler after the match.
‘But I just think we will learn some lessons from this tournament…It’s really important to go (forward) away irrespective of the outcome. Let’s play (South) Korea, and every player will give their best for sure,’ he added.
During the match, Bangladesh took a 4-0 lead at half-time as they scored three goals from set pieces. Shikha opened the scoring with a header from a corner taken from the left by midfielder Sapna Rani in the 20th minute.
Shanti doubled the lead in the 33rd minute by curling the corner kick into the far post net, before Nabiran made it three by heading home Shanti’s corner from the left in the 36th minute.
The second half brought no respite for Timor-Leste as Trishna scored her first goal in stoppage time of the first half, adding the fourth, then extended the lead to 5-0 in the 57th minute.
Sagorika added the sixth in the 73rd minute, and Trishna completed her treble in the 82nd minute, with substitute Munki scoring the final goal deep into injury time.
A total of 32 teams, divided into eight groups, are competing in the qualifiers. The eight group winners, alongside the three best runners-up, will join hosts Thailand in the final stage in April 2026.
