Sports

Skipper Sabina Khatun shone with a brace as Bangladesh beat Maldives 3-0 in their SAFF Women’s Championship match at the Dashrath Stadium on Wednesday. 

Bangladesh are now level on three points and goal difference with India at the top of the Group A table. India defeated Pakistan by the same margin in the opening match at the same venue earlier in the day. 

Khatun has joined Nepal’s Sabitra Bhandari and Anita Basnet as the tournament’s leading scorers with two goals.

Bangladesh made their intent clear from the first whistle and kept the Maldivian defenders busy.
Maldives frustrated the Bangladeshi attackers for half an hour with their markings. But in the 32nd minute, Khatun opened the Bangladeshi account with a shot from outside the area that gave no chance to Maldives goalkeeper Aminath Leeza.

The Bangladeshi captain’s strike opened the floodgates, as they added two more in the next eight minutes.
 

As Bangladesh attackers started to cut through Maldives defence at will,  center-back Masura Parvin doubled their score in the 34th minute. 

Six minutes on, Maria Manda’s powerful shot was blocked by Maldives captain Leeza. But the ball rebounded towards Khatun who completed a simple tap-in to extend the lead to 3-0 which proved decisive.

Wednesday’s results put the Maldives and Pakistan at the bottom of Group A.
Bangladesh meet Pakistan in an early match at Dashrath Stadium on Saturday, with Maldives taking on India later the same day.