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Published : 22 May 2026, 08:41 PM
German-born coach Thomas Dooley has set an ambitious but measured target for Bangladesh, saying he wants to lift the national team into the FIFA rankings bracket of 160 to 150.
Dooley, who arrived in Dhaka on Friday, later spoke at the Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA) Sports Awards, where he praised the winners and was photographed holding the red-and-green flag.
The 65-year old’s role at the helm of the side begins Sunday, with his first assignment expected to be the friendly against San Marino on Jun 5.
Following the departure of Javier Cabrera, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) appointed Dooley after weeks of speculation.
A veteran of two World Cup cycles as a United States player, he has also worked alongside former Germany coach Jürgen Klinsmann, bringing over four decades of football experience into his new role.
Dooley has prior coaching experience in Asia, most notably with the Philippines national team between 2014 and 2018, where he guided them to an unbeaten run into the Asian Cup finals and helped them achieve their highest-ever FIFA ranking.
Bangladesh currently sit a distant 181st in the world rankings, and Dooley acknowledged the scale of the challenge while stressing that progress would not come overnight.
Speaking at the event, he said success in football demands sacrifice and discipline.
“The goal is to get in the rankings up to 160, 150. That doesn't happen overnight. It's a process,” he said, adding that he has also written a book titled ‘The Truth About Success in Soccer That No One Teaches’.
Explaining his philosophy, Dooley highlighted mentality as one of four key pillars.
“There are four pillars and one is the mentality. And the mentality will not be changed, it's the way you think,” he said.
“We have to think about football and what we need to do and then we can achieve anything. The goal has to be realistic.”
He added that improvement could be achieved within a year if the process is properly followed.
“It's realistic to get under 160, but not [overnight], but maybe in a year,” he said.
Reflecting on Bangladesh’s long wait for silverware since the 2003 SAFF Championship, Dooley said he is prepared for the intense expectations of fans.
Addressing concerns about pressure, he struck a light-hearted tone while acknowledging the passion of supporters.
“We have here in Bangladesh maybe one million coaches out there,” he said, drawing laughter. “They all know it and that's good. That's very important.”
However, he insisted realism must guide expectations.
“We haven't won anything in what, 23 years? It's about time to do that,” he said, urging patience and hard work from both players and supporters as he begins his project in Dhaka.
