A youthful Bangladesh National Women's Football team will fly for United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday to play two International Friendlies against their hosts on February 28 and March 2.

Defender Afeida Khandakar is the new captain of the Tigresses, after she was appointed to lead the UAE-bound team in place of long-serving captain Sabina Khatun.

The first match will be the FIFA International Friendly and the 2nd one will be the International Friendly.

At a pre-match press conference at BFF house on Sunday, head coach Peter Butler and captain Afeida Khandakar expressed their views over the present National squad and said the absence of senior national players will not make any major impact in the team.

Afeida further said, "I was the captain of Under-19 national team, a good number of players of that team now with us, we have a good understanding too, so have no big problems". .

Earlier on Thursday (February 20), Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) announced a 23-member youthful national women's football team excluding captain Sabina Khatun-led rebelling 18-senior national footballers just few hours after the SAFF winning Bangladesh women's football team received Ekushey Padak from Chief Adviser.

Eighteen rebelling women's national footballers boycotted the national team's practice session under the English Head Coach Peter Butler from January 29 raising several allegations against the head coach including mental harassment, repression, using abusive words, body shaming, misbehaving, continuous discrimination and unfair treatment.

Only eight players of the squad (Afeida Khandakar, Kohati Kishu, Munki Akhter, Shaheda Akter Ripa, Iirin Khatun, Yearzan Begum, Sapna Rani and Mili Akter) that successfully defended the SAFF title in 2024 were included in the squad.

Bangladesh women's football team tour of UAE, full squad:

Yearzan Begum, Mili Akter, Meghla Rani Roy, Kohati Kisku, Joynab Bibi Rita, Afeida Khandakar, Surman Jannat, Halima Akhter, Sapna Rani, Airin Khatun, Aklima Khatun, Shaheda Akter Ripa, Ayonto Bala Mahato, Oeyshi Khatun, Tonima Biswas, Munki Akhter, Bonnya Khantun, Most. Sultana, Khanom Akter, Arpita Biswas Arpita, Sauravi Akanda Prity, Marium Binta Hanna and Nabiran Khatun.

The eighteen senior national players who were not included in Butler's are: Sabina Khatun (captain) , Krishna Rani Sarkar, Masura Parveen, Sanjida Akter, Maria Manda (vice-captain), Monika Chakma, Ritu Porna Chakma, Sheuly Azim, Nilufar Yesmin, Tahura Khatun, Sagorika, Matsushima Sumaiya, Shamsun Nahar Sr, Shamsun Nahar Jr, Rupna Chakma, Shorna Rani Mondal, Nasrin Akter and Shati Biswas.