Bangladesh head coach Thomas Dooley was pleased with his side's response to their heavy defeat against Malaysia despite suffering a narrow 1-0 loss to Singapore in their second Group A match of the FIFA Asean Cup 2026 in Jakarta on Monday.
Harhys Stewart's 35th-minute header proved decisive at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, but Bangladesh produced a much-improved performance after their 3-0 defeat to Malaysia in their tournament opener.
“We certainly saw a different team tonight compared to the last match. I am very pleased with the way the players responded,” Dooley said after the match.
Bangladesh created several opportunities in the second half but could not find an equaliser. Shamit Shome headed over the crossbar from a Saad Uddin cross, while Saad headed wide from Fahamedul Islam's delivery.
Dooley felt Bangladesh could have secured a better result had they been more clinical in the closing stages.
“We managed to play good football against Singapore, and had we capitalized on our scoring opportunities in the final 20 minutes, the result might have been even more positive for us,” he said.
“Shamit had a great chance—he missed the header—but the players' effort was excellent.”
The German-American coach said the performance showed Bangladesh can compete against higher-ranked Southeast Asian opposition when they maintain their intensity throughout the match.
“I think everyone has realized that if we fight hard and don't give the opposition too much space, we can compete with them,” Dooley said.
He also pointed to the lack of regular domestic competition as a major gap between Bangladesh and their Southeast Asian opponents.
“The domestic competition we have in Bangladesh isn't very extensive; we don't have leagues like those in Malaysia, Singapore, or Indonesia,” he said.
“Having a league is crucial because it allows players to play matches every week and learn from their mistakes. That is the gap we face.”
Dooley said the Asean Cup has provided valuable preparation ahead of the SAFF Championship, particularly against higher-ranked opposition.
“We need to understand where we stand. We are happy to be playing in this tournament because it features teams like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore—all of whom are ranked far higher than us,” he said.
“We didn't come here expecting to beat everyone; rather, we came to identify our mistakes and learn from them.”
Dooley identified finishing as Bangladesh's biggest weakness, saying the team lacks a clinical striker.
“Our biggest issue is scoring goals; the team lacks a clinical striker capable of consistently finding the back of the net,” he said.
Comparing Monday's performance with the defeat to Malaysia, Dooley praised his players' commitment.
“We didn't come here for a holiday; we came to compete against higher-ranked teams. You cannot compete with only eight or nine players fighting; everyone has to give 100 percent,” he said.
“Today, from the very first second, everyone fought, closed down spaces, and chased the ball.”
He also welcomed Bangladesh's improved approach in possession, with the team relying less on long balls.
“We didn't just play long balls like in the previous match,” he said. “I want the team to play by maintaining possession.”
Bangladesh will conclude their group-stage campaign against hosts Indonesia at the same venue on Thursday.
