Bangladesh coach Dooley prefers similar opponents over Kyrgyzstan ahead of SAFF Championship

Bangladesh national football team head coach Thomas Dooley says he would rather have his team face opponents of a similar standard than stronger teams ahead of the SAFF Championship, believing that such matches would help build confidence.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the National Team Management Committee on Wednesday, Dooley explained that finding suitable opponents during the September FIFA international window has become increasingly difficult.

According to the Bangladesh coach, the Bangladesh Football Federation has contacted teams from the Caribbean, Europe, and the Arab world, but most are already committed to regional competitions such as the UEFA Nations League and the Arab Cup.

Dooley added that Bangladesh had also hoped to arrange a friendly against Singapore, but that option was unavailable because Singapore is preparing for the AFC Asian Cup.
Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan has invited Bangladesh to participate in a tri-nation tournament in September.

However, Dooley is not enthusiastic about accepting the invitation because Bangladesh would face stronger opposition.

He believes that heavy defeats against stronger teams at this stage of preparation could damage the players' confidence ahead of the SAFF Championship.

Instead, Dooley said his priority is to arrange matches against teams of a comparable level, allowing Bangladesh to gain confidence and improve performance before the regional tournament.