Bangladesh's SAFF Championship winner Sirat Jahan Shopna retires at 22

Sirat Jahan Shopna scored four goals in last year's SAFF Women's Championship.

Sirat Jahan Shopna, a 22-year-old striker from Bangladesh, recently announced her retirement from the national women's football team. Shopna did not provide a reason for her decision to retire, leaving colleagues and fans to speculate on her motivations.

Shopna's retirement is a major blow to Bangladesh women's football. She was one of the team's most talented players and had been tipped for a bright future. However, her decision highlights the challenges that female footballers in Bangladesh face.

“I, on my own accord, am retiring from professional football,” announced the Bashundhara Kings striker in a social media post on Friday. "I had the privilege of playing professional football for almost eight years. In my football career, I’ve achieved many things. I’m thankful for all of it and would like to thank Almighty Allah. Through football, I’ve crossed paths with many people. Knowingly or unknowingly, if I’ve hurt anyone, please forgive me and pray for me,” Shopna added.

One possible reason for Shopna's retirement could be the Bangladesh women's team has not played any competitive games in the last eight months, which could have been a major factor in Shopna's decision. Women's team head coach Golam Rabbani Choton also mentioned that she also expressed her discontent about the uncertainty over the women's franchise league.

“Most probably, she announced her retirement out of frustration. We spoke with her, tried to make her reconsider. But it didn’t have any affect. She said, 'Sir, what’s the point in playing anymore! Eight months have passed since the SAFF Championship, but we haven’t gotten any games. A franchise league was supposed to start, but there is no update on that as well',” Choton informed Bangladesh outlet Prothom Alo.

Who is Sirat Jahan Shopna?

Shopna has been playing football since her early childhood and has always dreamt of representing her country at the highest level. She has been a top player in the national team for the past few years and has contributed greatly to the team. Shopna was a prolific striker who scored many goals for her team and led the Bangladesh Women's team to victory on several occasions.

The forward has made her name in 10 international goals, including four in the last SAFF Championship in Nepal in September 2022, where the Bangladesh women's team won their first trophy. She was also a part of the triumphant Bangladesh squad at the 2015 AFC U-14 tournament in Nepal.

She was then called up to the 2016 AFC U-16 Championship Qualifying Tournament. That same year, she made her debut for the national team at the South Asian Games in Shillong, Guwahati. Shopna netted five goals in the 2017 SAFF Women's Championship. In the U-18 SAFF Women's Championship in 2018, she managed to score eight goals in the competition.

In recent years, women's football has gained significant attention worldwide, with several countries investing heavily in the sport. Bangladesh needs to follow suit by providing better infrastructure, training facilities, and opportunities for female footballers, particularly those at the grassroots level.

Shopna's retirement is a reminder that there is still a long way to go before women's football in Bangladesh reaches its full potential. However, her decision is also a sign of the growing frustration among female footballers in the country. It remains to be seen whether the Bangladesh Football Federation will take Shopna's retirement as a wake-up call and start to invest more in women's football.