Mark Edward Cox has spent his life in positions of authority. Before coaching football he served as a police officer and later a prison governor. On 3 April 2026, he added another chapter, leading Bangladesh’s Under-20 men’s team to the SAFF Championship title in the Maldives, beating India 4-3 on penalties after a goalless final. It was a triumph built on one week of preparation, death threats on social media, a straight red card, and a Panenka penalty to seal the win. Appointed by the Bangladesh Football Federation on a one-month deal, Cox is now back in India setting up a residential football academy, waiting for a phone call from Dhaka that has not come. In this interview with Times of Bangladesh, he discusses the title win, the threats directed at him and his family, the controversy over his coaching credentials, and why he believes he is the best man to take Bangladesh to the 2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
How did you feel after winning the SAFF U-20 Championship?
Mark: Proud to have made history. There are not many English coaches out here. We beat India 4-3 on penalties in the final, and when you look at their history, it is quite a result.
In the first match against India, Ronan Sullivan looked disconnected from the team in the first half. What did you change at the break to get him to perform so well afterwards?
Mark: At half time his instructions were to time his arrival from deep and to be more selfish, which allowed the midfielders more time on the ball. I thought all of my boys were outstanding against a very physical team. In the first half Mursed Ali was unplayable and they could not cope with him. In the second half they doubled up on him, which gave our strikers the space. Chandon, Kamal and Faysal controlled the midfield.
There were many questions over your starting XI, with fans pressing you to play Declan Sullivan and Ibrahim Nawaz. What is your response?
Mark: I received threats of violence on my social media pages, and my family in the UK were contacted asking me to play certain players. Other players and coaches also faced abuse. We had a meeting to put that rubbish to bed, and players who were not playing were told in one-to-one interviews. People do not realise that we had one week to prepare a team for four matches. I had to pick a team that would win each match, and the best XI played on the day. If you look at the great winning teams in football, there are very few changes to the line-up.
With so little preparation time and the need to pick the XI that worked best together, did Declan and Nawaz seem less connected to the team than the other players?
Mark: Never. It is a shame you could not have been there. Ibrahim and Declan were at the forefront of everything, and all the local lads loved them. Initially there was a language barrier, but that was quickly overcome. Some media attempted to give the impression there was a divide, but if you really got to know them, they are not the type to let that happen. Although I had to choose a best XI, the whole squad mattered, and I felt most for the two reserve goalkeepers, but they were part of it too.
Did the BFF advise you on who to play, or did you have full freedom?
Mark: There were never any calls from the BFF or government ministers telling me who to play or leave out. Team selection was down to me, with no pressure and no syndicate. All players were picked on their attitude at training, and on how they were day to day at meal times, meetings and so on. The psychology of our team won the final, alongside our technique, tactics and physical work.
You have spoken about the support you received from fans in the Maldives. How did fans in Bangladesh treat you?
Mark: The majority of Bangladeshi football fans are amazing. I walked or took rickshaws around Dhaka, had coffee in malls and street cafés, and people recognised me and asked for selfies. In the Maldives, after my sending off, I went and stood with the fans, then walked back to the hotel having selfies. There was no trouble and no issues.
Bangladesh national team captain Jamal Bhuyan said recently that, early in his national team career, some players thought he did not understand Bengali and told each other not to pass him the ball. There has been a pattern of diaspora players being ignored on the pitch. Did you see anything similar in your squad?
Mark: I have been in football a long time, but I also spent years as a police officer and then a prison governor, so I recognise personality traits and patterns of play. On the pitch there was some miscommunication between players. We had only had one previous practice match, in Dhaka, against other opposition. Some Asian players are naturally selfish with the ball because they grow up watching Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe. We reviewed the match and corrected issues with the players. At half time I gave Ronan a note telling him to keep playing his game, be selfish where he could, and keep making the runs into the area that we had practised. The confusion at the free-kick was not malicious: in training Faysal had always taken free-kicks, so when Ronan said he wanted it Faysal looked to the bench, and I shouted for Ronan to take it. The rest is history. I also took satisfaction from his run for the header, which was technically brilliant. We created a family bond and a group atmosphere, and our philosophy was “think forward, play forward”, which allowed players to express themselves without fear, even to the point of taking a Panenka.
Having been a police officer, do you bring that strictness into your coaching?
Mark: There have to be boundaries, so yes. I had a short time to instill a winning mentality, so I initially used a command-and-control approach with both the coaches and the players. We had to go into battle with belief and a confident arrogance, and that only comes if the man at the top delivers those traits. Once that was in place we could bring in banter, nicknames and daft chants, such as “Market Guru Guru”, which nobody knew the meaning of but was ours. India and Nepal thought we were crazy. We won matches off the pitch as much as on it.
Meshu was often seen in the technical area talking to players and making changes. That raised questions over who was really running the team. How do you respond?
Mark: In the game against Pakistan there were a few communication issues, so I let Meshu stand in the technical area, because there were 10 Bengali-speaking players and it seemed the obvious thing to do.
How do you view the confidence Ronan Sullivan showed to win the final with a Panenka penalty?
Mark: After the India game we practised penalties every session with the coaching staff, which bred confidence. At the end of the final everyone said they wanted to take one, even Sameed the team manager. We picked five and asked Ronan to take the first, and in his American drawl he said, “No way, I’ve got number five.” He knew what he was going to do even before the first penalty was taken. The one thing Americans have in abundance is confidence.
Captain Mithu and Faysal have recently mocked diaspora players in Facebook comments. Do you see this as a mindset that could divide the national set-up between local and diaspora players?
Mark: I have not seen those comments. But there must be some sadness that the local players’ achievements have been dismissed. The BFF needs to reach out to the Bengali community abroad, yes, but it also needs to grow football at grassroots level so that all players have the dream. Buying in ready-made footballers will not build an infrastructure. It may give you a quick hit at national team level, but grassroots will take a hit.
What is it about Bangladeshi football that excites you?
Mark: A team should play as close as possible to the identity and personality of its people. Brazilians play samba football, Spaniards are passionate, Italians are emotional, Germans are clinical, the English are traditional, Argentinians are mavericks, Indians are arrogant. Bengalis are fighters who never know when to give up, and that is what we should build our football around.
There were questions over your coaching licences. What is your response?
Mark: My UEFA A Licence was started in 2005 and completed in 2006. I am due to undertake the CPD for it in May 2026, which will validate the licence for another three years. I did undertake the first year of my Pro Licence but did not complete it. I was given a certificate of attendance diploma for that first year, but it is not a licence, and I never personally claimed it as one. The Technical Director received my CV in late 2024 and again in 2025 and was in full understanding of the facts. They even got my date of birth wrong on the diploma.
You faced heavy criticism from fans over this license issue. How did you take it?
Mark: I do my talking on the pitch with results. I did not answer any of the insults because I knew the truth, and so did the BFF. I had a tournament to win. While they were attacking me, they were leaving others alone, and during my walkabouts in Dhaka and Malé nobody spoke to me face to face about it. I do wonder who leaked all of those documents to the press. The fans are very passionate, and the person who leaked all of the lies knew what they were doing. I think it is the main reason why the BFF will not reappoint me. It is a shame, because I proved I can develop players. Ask the players and the coaches who led the team.
You said the BFF will not consider you. What do you think is missing between the two parties, and have you applied for any coaching role recently?
Mark: My contract was for a month and ended on 6 April 2026. Since then, nobody at the BFF has contacted me. It is as if I never existed. I also think that, as the man who did not play Declan and Ibrahim, they are afraid of a backlash if I am reappointed. I have applied but received no acknowledgement. Yes, I have applied for the U-20 role. They are too scared of me, so I will not get it.
What are your future plans, whether the BFF contacts you or not?
Mark: My main desire is to return to Bangladesh and carry on developing players. I have said on more than one occasion that the goal has to be the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, so everything from Under-12 up to open-age football needs sorting, because those are the players who can take us there. I am undoubtedly the best person for that job. I am currently in India setting up a Residential Academy for footballers. My A licence CPD accreditation is in May, so thats 3 days on-line. I have had offers from India, Pakistan and China, so I shouldn’t starve even if BFF doesn’t contact me.
