JFA Cup opens new pathway for emerging women footballers 

The long-standing football partnership between Bangladesh and Japan Football Association (JFA) continues to strengthen the foundations of women's football in the country, as the latest edition of the JFA U-14 Women's National Championship begins across six venues from today (Friday).

Backed by the Japanese federation, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has been organising the age-group tournament for more than a decade in a bid to unearth future talent from the grassroots. This year, participation has increased from 43 district football associations to 47, reflecting the expanding footprint of women's football across the country.

The opening phase of the competition will commence in Rajbari, Rangpur and Feni, while matches in Tangail, Jhenaidah and Rajshahi will begin on 10 June. Except for Rajshahi, all venues will feature eight teams divided into two groups. Rajshahi will host seven teams in two groups. Each side will play three group-stage matches in a round-robin format before the two group champions battle for the zonal title.

The six zonal champions, along with the two best runners-up, will qualify for the final round. However, the venue and schedule for the concluding phase are yet to be finalised by the federation.

A press conference was held at the BFF House on Thursday afternoon to mark the occasion. BFF Women's Wing chief Mahfuza Akter Kiron said the tournament format had been changed from knockout to league-based competition to provide young players with more match exposure.

She also revealed that participating teams would now receive Tk 45,000 instead of the previous Tk 25,000, while teams qualifying for the final round would receive an additional Tk 45,000. According to her, extended tournament duration has enabled the federation to secure greater support from FIFA.

Addressing concerns surrounding FIFA Connect registration, Kiron clarified that only properly registered players would be eligible to participate. Last year, a district side was barred after discrepancies emerged between registered and fielded players.

The BFF hopes the competition will once again serve as a talent pipeline, with five players from last year's edition already training in the federation's national camp.