Bangladesh step into tougher ASEAN territory on SAFF road

After receiving their first-ever FIFA invitation, Bangladesh begin their inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup campaign against Malaysia in the Group A opener at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta today.

The match kicks off at 3:00pm (Bangladesh time).

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German-American head coach Thomas Dooley sees the tournament as “perfect preparation” for November’s SAFF Championship in Dhaka, while acknowledging the challenge posed by three higher-ranked opponents -- Indonesia (118), Malaysia (136) and Singapore (146), compared to Bangladesh’s 181st position.

The Bangladesh Football Federation had initially considered hosting a four-nation tournament or travelling to Kyrgyzstan for a tri-nation event before accepting the ASEAN Cup invitation, particularly after India withdrew to host Brazil in a FIFA friendly.

The opportunity also came amid limited football activity at home due to FIFA registration bans on several local clubs. After starting camp in late August, Dooley focused on players’ fitness following nearly two months of inactivity and only had his full squad, including overseas-based players, together in Indonesia for three days before the tournament.

The World Cup-playing coach began his Bangladesh tenure with a 2-1 win over 211th-ranked San Marino in June. He now faces a sterner test with three new overseas-origin players in his 23-man squad.

“We always wanted to play against better teams,” Dooley said. “Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are big challenge for us, and we are looking forward to those games.”

The first test against Malaysia looks particularly daunting, with the side featuring at least 10 overseas-based players from England, Finland, Belgium, Brazil and elsewhere. Bangladesh’s last meeting with Malaysia, in the 2022 Asian Cup Qualifiers, ended in a 4-1 defeat under former Spanish coach Javier Cabrera. In 10 meetings, Bangladesh have beaten Malaysia only once -- a 2-1 win at the 1982 Asian Games.

Dooley also urged fans to “be realistic”, pointing out the wide gap in the rankings.

“I know we have so many fans at home in Bangladesh who think that we're coming over here and gonna beat everyone. But it's so difficult... Malaysia are almost 50 places ahead of us while Singapore and Indonesia are also 35 to 60 places ahead of us.

“We are looking forward to learn something and use it for the next games, and especially for the SAFF tournament. That is our goal,” he said, adding that the tournament would show where Bangladesh currently stand against superior opposition.

Captain Jamal Bhuyan said, “As a team, we want to compete and, of course, if we can get a couple of points or maybe a win or two, that would be a very successful (thing) for us.”

GROUP STAGE FIXTURES

Division 1: Group A

25 Sept

Bangladesh vs Malaysia (3:00 pm)

Indonesia vs Singapore (7:00 pm)

28 Sept

Singapore vs Bangladesh (3:00 pm)

Indonesia vs Malaysia (6:30 pm)

01 Oct

Indonesia vs Bangladesh (6:30 pm)

Malaysia vs Singapore (6:30 pm)