Change won't come overnight: Day

The Bangladesh national football team's new English coach Jamie Day has seemingly set up the 'realistic target' of progressing from the group stage in September's SAFF Championship.

The statement came out at the unofficial briefing with the media as Day and deputy Stuart Watkiss met with the Kazi Nabil Ahmed-led national teams committee to take charge of the national football team at the BFFF House yesterday, following their arrival in the capital the day before.

Bangladesh could not cross the group stage in the last three editions of the regional football extravaganza. They last qualified for the semifinals in 2010 when Bangladesh hosted the event.

“The SAFF Championship is going to be tough. If we go to semifinals, it will be fantastic. We will go to the competition to win it. We know there are better nations in the competition, but the [first] target is to get out of the group stages,” said Jamie, who has taken charge of a national side for the first time.

 “We know it's going to be a challenge. We are not going to change things overnight and become the best national team in a month. It will take a lot of hard work to hopefully make Bangladesh a better football team. That's the aim in the competitions coming up; we are looking to these to do what we possibly can. We are here to work as hard as possible,” said Day.

Day will be introduced to the national booters at BKSP today before officially starting from Saturday.

NTC chairman Kazi Nabil Ahmed informed that they would send the national team to Qatar for a 15-day residential camp like they did in March ahead of the FIFA friendly match against Laos.