Afeida Khandaker
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Afeida in 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Afeida Khandaker Pranti | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 18 November 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Satkhira, Bangladesh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Rajshahi Stars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | BKSP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | ARB College SC | 33 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Royal Thimphu College | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Rajshahi Stars | 10 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Bangladesh U15 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Bangladesh U20 | 26 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Bangladesh | 27 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19 February 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 12 March 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Afeida Khandaker Pranti (born November 18, 2006; Bengali: আফঈদা খন্দকার প্রান্তি) is a Bangladeshi professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Rajshahi Stars and the Bangladesh national team, which she captains.
Early life
Born in Satkhira District, Afeida Khandaker comes from a sporting family. Her father coached her early development in football when she accompanied her elder sister to trials for the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan. In 2016, she was admitted there as a fifth-grade student at its Savar campus, marking the formal beginning of her football journey. She continued her education alongside football, and in 2018, she was selected for the Bangladesh Football Federation's national training camp.[2][3][4]
Club career
ARB College Sporting Club
Afeida played for ARB College Sporting Club in the Bangladesh Women’s Football League since the club’s formation in 2021.[5][6]
Royal Thimphu College FC
In 2025, Afeida joined Bhutan Women's National League club Royal Thimphu College.[7]
Rajshahi Stars FC
In 22 December 2025, Newcomer Rajshahi Stars FC fielded a strong squad in the Bangladesh Women's Football League with the inclusion of national women's team captain Afeida Khandaker.[8][9] Afeida scored a goal in her debut for the club, contributing to a 12-0 win.[10][11]
International career
Youth
In February 2024, Afeida Khandaker captained the Bangladesh U‑19 women’s team at the 2024 SAFF U‑19 Women’s Championship held in Bangladesh. The team advanced to the final by topping their group unbeaten, including a 4–0 win over Bhutan. In the final against India, the match ended 1–1 after regular time, and both teams converted all 11 penalties. The on-field referees initially attempted to decide the winner by a coin toss, favoring India, which led to significant protests. Upon review, officials recognized that the tournament’s rules did not allow a coin toss outcome and instead declared both teams as joint champions.[12]
Senior
In May 2025, Afeida Khandaker was named the captain of the Bangladesh senior national team for a tri-nation series in Jordan, which included hosts Jordan and Indonesia. This appointment followed a player rebellion earlier that year, where 18 senior footballers, including former captain Sabina Khatun, protested against head coach Peter Butler and boycotted the training camp. Consequently, Afeida received the captaincy after several experienced players were omitted from the squad.[13]
The tri-nation series in Jordan served as preparation for the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers. Under Khandaker's captaincy, the Bangladesh women's football team remained unbeaten against higher-ranked opponents. On May 31, 2025, Bangladesh held Indonesia to a goalless draw in Amman. Later, on June 3, 2025, they played a 2-2 draw against host nation Jordan, coming from behind twice in the match.[14]
Bangladesh secured qualification for the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup for the first time in history. The team topped Group C in the 2026 qualifiers with, defeating Bahrain 7–0, Myanmar 2–1, and Turkmenistan 7–0, finishing with nine points from three matches. The historic qualification was confirmed after a 2–2 draw between Bahrain and Turkmenistan ensured Bangladesh’s top position in the group.[15]
Career statistics
International
- As of match played 5 July 2025
- Scores and results list Bangladesh's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Afeida Khandaker goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 December 2023 | BSSS Mostafa Kamal Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh | Singapore | 1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 23 October 2024 | Dasharath Rangasala, Kathmandu, Nepal | India | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2024 SAFF Women's Championship |
| 3 | 26 February 2025 | Theyab Awana Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | United Arab Emirates | 1–2 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 4 | 2 March 2025 | 1–3 |
Personal life
Her father, Khandaker Arif Hasan, is a former footballer who played for the Satkhira district team, the Khulna divisional youth team, and Dhaka’s Shantinagar Club in the second division during 1989–90. He currently runs a local football training center and coaches gymnastics and boxing. Her mother, Momtaz Khatun, was involved in athletics and served on the Satkhira District Women's Sports Association, receiving the “Adommo Nari” award in Khulna division in 2024. Afeida’s elder sister, Afra Khandaker, is a national-level boxer and former BKSP student. Afeida joined BKSP in 2016, while Afra enrolled in 2017 for boxing.[4]
Afeida completed her Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) in 2024.[16]
Honours
RTC
Bangladesh U20
References
- ^ "2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup Squad Lists" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- ^ EKHON TV (2024-11-04). বাবার কাছেই আফিদার ফুটবলের হাতেখড়ি | Afeida Khandaker | Bangladesh Women Football Team | EKhon TV. Retrieved 2025-07-06 – via YouTube.
- ^ "কেমন কাটছে 'অধিনায়ক আফঈদার' প্রথম ঈদ". Jagonews24.com (in Bengali). 1 April 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ a b আলম, মাসুদ (2025-02-27). "আফঈদা–আফরার ফুটবল–পাগল বাবার স্বপ্ন পূরণের গল্প". Prothomalo (in Bengali). Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ "ARB College off to winning start". The Daily Star. 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ "Women's Football: Bashundhara Kings clinch league crown with 18-0 victory over Jamalpur KA". unb.com.bd. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ "Afeida, Sapna and Shaheda to feature in Champions League for Bhutan's RTC". Daily Sun. July 2025.
- ^ "Afeida, Ritu headline Rajshahi Stars' title ambition". The Daily Star. 2025-12-23. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
- ^ "আফঈদা-ঋতুকে ঘিরে রাজশাহীর শিরোপা স্বপ্ন". The Daily Star (in Bengali). 2025-12-23. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
- ^ "দিপা-রিপা আর প্রীতির ঝলকে রাজশাহী স্টার্সের দুর্দান্ত জয়". Jagonews24 (in Bengali). 3 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ^ "নাসরিন একাডেমিকে গোলবন্যায় ভাসালো রাজশাহী স্টারস". Somoy News. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ^ "Bangladesh and India declared joint champions". The Daily Star. 2024-02-08. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
- ^ "Sabina excluded as women's squad named for Jordan tour". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ "Lessons learnt against Jordan, Indonesia to help in Asian Cup Qualifiers: Afeida". The Daily Star. 2025-06-05. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ "Bangladesh beat Turkmenistan". Prothomalo. 2025-07-05. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ "Footballer Afeida, Ripa pass HSC exam -". The Daily Observer. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
External links
- Media related to Afeida Khandaker at Wikimedia Commons