Despite heading into the tournament riding high on their historic SAFF U-20 Championship triumph, the Bangladesh U-20 football team suffered another heartbreaking early exit.

Bangladesh ended their AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifying campaign with a 3-0 defeat to India in Uzbekistan on Sunday, finishing bottom of their four-team group without scoring a single goal.

In a letter addressed to Jones, the BFF said it had decided to terminate his employment “with immediate effect” in accordance with the termination provisions of his contract, which was signed on June 9, 2026.

It is a disappointing position for a side that arrived in Uzbekistan with considerable optimism after winning the SAFF U-20 Championship earlier this year.

Bangladesh’s bid to qualify for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup finals faces its biggest test when the men in red and green take on 2023 champions Uzbekistan in their Group B qualifying opener at Do'stlik Stadium in Tashkent tonight.

Bangladesh's Under-20 team will leave for Uzbekistan tonight amid an extraordinary cloud of uncertainty, with neither head coach Gerard Jones nor captain or any player attending the team's pre-departure press conference at the Bangladesh Football Federation headquarters.

Bangladesh's preparations for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers have been thrown into uncertainty on the eve of the team's departure for Uzbekistan, with the federation's decision to cancel a scheduled press conference fuelling speculation that head coach Gerard Jones could be on his way out.

The British coach said he was dealing with “miscommunication or surprises” and was worried about his family and his safety.

New Bangladesh youth teams coach Gerard Jones said he wants to build U-20 players who are confident on the ball, resilient and capable of matching opponents physically and tactically.