'I took her out of the frying pan': Butler defends Afeida omission

Despite leaving SAFF Championship-winning centre-back Afeida Khandokar out of the starting lineup, defending champions Bangladesh could not avoid a 3-0 defeat to India in their final Group B match of the ongoing SAFF Women's Championship, with defensive errors contributing to two of the goals conceded.

India took the lead after defender Kohati Kisku's miscued header fell kindly to an unmarked Pyari Xaxa. The left winger raced into the box and drilled a powerful low shot past Bangladesh goalkeeper Mile Akter.

The second goal came after Surma Jannat, who replaced Afeida in the starting XI, fouled substitute Malavika inside the penalty area. Lynda Kom Setro converted the resulting spot-kick to double India's lead.

Explaining the decision to leave out Afeida, whose performances in several recent international matches have come under scrutiny, Bangladesh head coach Peter Butler said the move was intended to aid the defender's development.

“Afeida will understand one day the reason why I took her out of the frying pan and basically, rather than throw her back in the fire,” Butler said.

“I've just given her a little bit of a break, and it's a part of her development. I mean, I don't know how old she is. She could be 19 or 20. But I'm trying to rebuild a team because I know certain players are coming to the end,” said Butler, who also claimed that Monika Chakma was nearing the latter stage of her career.

The omission marked another setback for Afeida, who was stripped of the captaincy ahead of the tournament. A regular in the national team since her debut, she has featured in 24 consecutive international matches and captained Bangladesh in 14 of them.

However, her performances have come under increasing scrutiny in recent months, particularly over the team's struggles to maintain a high defensive line. She was reportedly held responsible for Maldives' second goal in the opening match after failing to stop a counterattack, raising fresh questions about her place in the side.