Bangladesh head coach Thomas Dooley has asked supporters to temper their expectations ahead of the team’s FIFA ASEAN Cup opener against Malaysia tomorrow, saying a narrow defeat or a draw would represent genuine success given the gulf in quality between the two sides.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Jakarta on Thursday, Dooley described the tournament as valuable preparation for the SAFF Championship at home in November, while acknowledging that fixtures against Malaysia, Singapore and hosts Indonesia posed a considerable challenge.

"We are very happy to participate in this tournament. It's a big challenge for us. We always wanted to play against better teams, and our big tournament in the future is the SAFF tournament. This is perfect preparation for us at home in November," he said.

He was particularly candid about the gap separating Bangladesh from Indonesia, pointing to the number of players representing the co-hosts in major European leagues as evidence of just how far the two sides have drifted apart.

"For most teams in Asia, it's a very tough game to play against Indonesia because they have players from the German Bundesliga, from Holland, from Italy. It's a very different team. I don't think we have much of a chance," he said.

Dooley was equally blunt about the ranking disparity facing his side across the group, stressing that Bangladesh's supporters needed to view the tournament through a realistic lens rather than expecting instant results.

"I know we have so many fans back home in Bangladesh who think we're coming over here to beat everyone, but it's so difficult. Malaysia are almost 50 points above us in the rankings. That's a lot. Then we have Singapore, who are 30 to 35 points ahead," he said.

Despite that gap, Dooley pointed to Bangladesh's recent history against Singapore as proof his side could still be competitive, having lost their previous two meetings by narrow margins of 1-0 and 2-1 respectively.

He acknowledged, however, that Malaysia represented a step up in difficulty, framing anything short of a heavy defeat as a meaningful marker of progress for his young squad heading into the tournament.

"Getting a good result, if we lose 1-0 or get a tie, that would be fantastic. Learning from the mistakes we make in the next game, that's how we need to develop. Nothing comes overnight," he said.

Dooley expanded further on that theme, questioning openly why Bangladesh continued to sit so far below their regional rivals in the FIFA rankings, and stressing that genuine improvement could only come through sustained, gradual development.

"Why are we 181 and other teams are 150, 130, or below 100? We're trying to find out how we can get to that level, and that only comes through development. Sometimes you have to lose and learn from those mistakes," he said.

He also drew a comparison between Bangladesh's own mindset and that of their group opponents, arguing that every nation, regardless of ranking, approaches fixtures against lower ranked sides with the same reluctance to lose.

"Malaysia think exactly the same way we do. When we play teams behind us in the rankings, we don't want to lose. You cannot lose against Bhutan if they're behind you. That's how Malaysia think about facing us too," he said.

Despite the sobering assessment, Dooley did leave room for genuine optimism, suggesting that a positive result against Malaysia remained within reach if his side could execute their game plan effectively on the day.

"If we have a good game against Malaysia, create chances going forward, and manage a tie or maybe even a win, that would be fantastic. But everybody has a dream, right?" he concluded.

Jamal Bhuyan targets one or two wins despite tough draw

Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuyan struck a noticeably more confident tone than his coach, insisting the squad was not prepared to write off their chances simply because all three group opponents sit above them in the world rankings.

Speaking at the same press conference, Jamal acknowledged the scale of the challenge facing his side, while making clear the squad still believed in their own ability to compete against stronger opposition on the biggest stage.

"It feels good to be in Indonesia. We wanted to come a little earlier, but we couldn't because of visa related problems. As the coach said, we know it's going to be difficult, but we believe in ourselves and we have good confidence," he said.

The 36 year old midfielder also confirmed the tournament formed part of a broader preparation plan for the SAFF Championship, describing that competition as Bangladesh's genuine priority over the coming months.

"If you want to be successful, you want to compete and play good matches. As the coach said, this is a preparation tournament for us because we have the SAFF tournament within a month, which is our main target," he said.

Even so, Jamal made clear that simply gaining experience would not be enough on its own, setting his sights instead on tangible results that could give the squad genuine momentum heading into their home tournament.

"If we can get a few points, or win one or two matches, then it will be a very successful trip for us," he said.

Bangladesh begin their campaign against Malaysia, before facing Singapore and hosts Indonesia in what promises to be a testing week for Dooley's side across all three fixtures in the Indonesian capital.