Bangladesh U-20 women seal maiden Asian Cup berth, emulate senior side

Riding on two wins in three matches, Bangladesh secured their first-ever spot in the AFC Women's U-20 Asian Cup after completing their qualifying campaign in Laos on Sunday.

Peter Butler's side progressed as one of the three best runners-up (top 11 teams) across eight groups involving 32 teams, joining hosts Thailand in the 12-team finals set for next April.

Bangladesh opened Group H with emphatic victories over hosts Laos and Timor-Leste, but a 6-1 defeat to two-time champions and eventual group winners South Korea in their final match on Sunday left their fate hanging.

However, their passage was confirmed later in the day, thanks to China's rout of Lebanon in Group E and Vietnam's win over Kyrgyzstan in Group B.

In doing so, the U-20s mirrored the achievement of the senior women's team -- also captained by Afeida Khandoker and coached by Butler -- who in July booked their place at the 2026 Asian Cup in Australia.

The age-group side arrived into the continental finals as reigning SAFF champions, having gone unbeaten in six matches on home soil.