Weeks of speculation are set to end on Friday 22 May as Thomas Dooley arrives in Dhaka on an Emirates flight to take charge of the Bangladesh national football team. The Bangladesh Football Federation has yet to make a formal announcement, but confirmed internally via the national team committee’s WhatsApp group late on Thursday evening that the new coach would arrive the following morning, with an official announcement to follow upon his landing.
BFF president Tabith Auwal had repeatedly stated that a new coach would be in place from the start of the national team camp, which is scheduled to begin on 24 May, the day after the Premier Football League concludes on 23 May. Dooley’s arrival two days before camp opens is consistent with that timeline.
The appointment had been building for several days. The national team committee had previously ruled out Wales coach Chris Coleman as a candidate, leaving Dooley as the frontrunner from a short list of options. The committee delegated the final decision to president Tabith Auwal, who also chairs the national team committee. On Thursday evening, BFF formally bid farewell to outgoing coach Javier Cabrera on their official Facebook page, his contract having ended several weeks ago, further signalling the imminent arrival of his successor.
Dooley is expected to attend a sports event in Dhaka on Friday, though BFF will not formally introduce him to the media on that occasion.
His appointment has not been without controversy. A section of supporters has staged protests outside the BFF building for the past two days opposing his selection, with further demonstrations planned for Friday.
Dooley brings considerable credentials to the role. The German-American coach most recently managed the Guyana national team before resigning, and previously guided the Philippines to the Asian Cup. As a player, he enjoyed a distinguished career in the German Bundesliga and represented the United States at both the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, captaining his country at the latter tournament.
