Sports Desk:

For the first time in history, the Bangladesh women’s football team has qualified for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, a tournament that will take place from March 1–21, 2026, in three Australian cities: Sydney, Perth, and Gold Coast, featuring 12 nations.

The official group stage draw will be held on July 29 in Sydney. Based on FIFA rankings (as of June 12, 2025), the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Tuesday divided the 12 qualified teams into four pots, each containing three teams. One team from each pot will be drawn into each group.

As a Pot 4 team, Bangladesh cannot face India or Iran in the group stage. They are likely to face one of the stronger teams from Pot 1 and Pot 2. A favourable draw for Bangladesh would include Vietnam from Pot 2, as they are lower-ranked (37th) compared to China (17th) and South Korea (21st).

The most crucial match for Bangladesh will be against the Pot 3 team in their group. All Pot 3 teams are ranked between 41–51, and Bangladesh have already beaten Myanmar (ranked 55th) in the qualifiers, suggesting a competitive chance. Winning that match could pave the way to the quarterfinals.

From each group, the top two teams and the two best third-placed teams will progress to the quarter-finals. A spot in the last eight could potentially open doors to qualification for the Women’s World Cup and the Olympics.

Pot 1: Australia (hosts), Japan, North Korea

Pot 2: China, South Korea, Vietnam