Football

Captain Sabina Khatun scored a hat-trick as Bangladesh ran riot over Pakistan with a 6-0 win in a Group A game of the sixth SAFF Women’s Championship in Kathmandu on Saturday.

The victory – Bangladesh’s second in as many games in the competition – has put them atop Group A with six points, three clear of India, who are due to play Maldives later on Saturday. An Indian victory over Maldives will see the defending champions and Bangladesh through to the semi-finals.

Bangladesh were in attacking mode from the start at the Dashrath Stadium, hardly giving respite to Pakistan in the match. Apart from a few occasional moves Pakistan were otherwise rooted to their own half for much of the match.

Bangladesh took the lead as early as the third minute through Monica Chakma. Building pressure from the right, Bangladesh captain Sabina Khatun centred a cross from the right.
Although a Pakistani defender cleared the ball, it landed in front of an unmarked Chakma, who put it away beautifully from outside the penalty area.

Earlier, Pakistan had a close look at the Bangladeshi goal in the opening minute of the match. Zulfia Nazir broke into their penalty area after a solo run down the middle. But goalkeeper Rupna Chakma denied her in a one-on-one situation.

After Sabina wasted a chance in the 12th minute, Bangladesh doubled their account through Sirat Jahan Sopna off a brilliant counter-attacking move. In the 28th minute, after Sabina put her through with a pass, Sopna fired past goalkeeper Sayda Mahapara.

In the 31st minute, Sabina gave Bangladesh a 3-0 lead after a quick exchange with Maria. Four minute on, she netted her second of the match from close range to extend the lead to 4-0.

Bangladesh almost added another through Sundar six minutes from the break. She was denied though by another piece of good goalkeeping by Mahapar.

In the remaining couple of minutes, Pakistan pressed hard into Bangladeshi territory in search of a goal. Nazir had another opportunity, this time to reduce the deficit but ’keeper Chakma and defender Akhi Khatun held firm in the back to take Bangladesh’s 4-0 lead into half time.

Bangladesh continued to look for more goals and Sabina added another one to the tally in the 58th minute. Maria Manda swung in a cross from the right and the Bangladeshi forward met it brilliantly with a header to complete a hat-trick – the first in the tournament.

In the 67th minute, Suha Hirani launched Pakistan's last real crack at Bangladeshi goal but her shot was too weak to trable ’keeper Chakma.

Bangladesh put away another in the 76th minute with Ritu Poorna Chakma finding the net from 25 yards to complete the 6-0 victory.