The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has officially terminated the contract of U-20 national team head coach Gerard Jones while the squad is still competing in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers in Tashkent. The decision to part ways with the English coach follows back-to-back losses against Uzbekistan and Syria, marking an abrupt end to his tenure before the tournament concluded.
It is highly unusual for a national team to dismiss its head coach in the middle of an ongoing international tournament. The timing of the decision, coming just before the final group stage match, has sparked significant debate within the national football community. The federation confirmed the dismissal through a formal announcement, noting that Jones had been instructed to vacate his hotel accommodation immediately.
Beyond the team’s poor performance on the pitch, the federation had reportedly been dissatisfied with Jones’s conduct for some time. Sources indicate that several of his social media posts caused embarrassment for the governing body. Furthermore, internal friction between Jones and assistant coach Atiqur Rahman Mishu had escalated, with reports suggesting a direct conflict between the two staff members. While the BFF had initially planned to wait until the conclusion of the group stage to release him, the team’s disappointing results in Uzbekistan prompted an immediate change.
Assistant coach Atiqur Rahman Mishu has been appointed to lead the squad for the final group match against India. The federation is now focused on ending the qualification campaign on a positive note, with the primary objective being a victory under Mishu’s leadership. The situation has been described as a source of mounting frustration for the BFF, which struggled to manage the complications surrounding the former coach’s tenure.
