An unusual press briefing: No coach, no captain, and not enough to answer

Bangladesh's Under-20 team will leave for Uzbekistan tonight amid an extraordinary cloud of uncertainty, with neither head coach Gerard Jones nor captain or any player attending the team's pre-departure press conference at the Bangladesh Football Federation headquarters.

The briefing, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday but cancelled at the last moment, was rearranged just hours before the team's departure. Team manager Sameed Quasem and BFF technical director Saiful Bari Titu were the only officials present, leaving them to face a barrage of questions over the coaching dispute and the team's preparations for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers.

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The absence of Jones was particularly conspicuous after reports of a physical altercation between the British coach and his assistant, Atiqur Rahman Meshu, at the team hotel last week. Jones subsequently called the national emergency service 999, while the BFF's Development Committee began looking into the incident.

Asked why the coach and players were not present, Quasem offered a logistical explanation but also acknowledged that the arrangement was unusual.

"There is no direct flight to Uzbekistan, so our team is travelling in several groups today. We did not want the coaches and players' focus to be disrupted, which is why they are not here. This is not our usual practice, and as the manager I am sorry for that," Quasem said.

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Asked whether the situation between Jones and Meshu could affect the team in Uzbekistan, Quasem insisted the camp had returned to normal.

"The situation in the camp is normal now. Everyone is in a good mood," he said.

However, questions remained over why the federation had not completed its investigation or taken disciplinary action before the team left.

"We did not want to take such a decision before the tour because we did not want it to affect the team. Besides, it took some time to gather the information," Kashem said.

Titu was also pressed over when the federation had first been informed about the altercation. His response appeared to contradict the timeline presented by Meshu.

"Neither Gerard nor Meshu informed me on Wednesday. Meshu informed me on Friday," Titu said.

The incident is the latest disruption to a U-20 programme that has already faced questions over coaching appointments. Jones had also publicly complained about unpaid wages and security concerns during the camp, while his appointment came after previous coaching uncertainty involving British coach Mark Cox.

Quasem, who was involved in the appointment process and is now the team manager, acknowledged that the situation had placed him in an uncomfortable position.

With neither the head coach nor captain available, there was also no opportunity for journalists to hear directly about the team's footballing preparation or objectives. Titu said the side had prepared well, while Quasem set a clear target.

"We want to play in the final tournament," he said.

Bangladesh will face hosts Uzbekistan, India and Chinese Taipei in the qualifiers, which begin on August 31. The top eight group winners and seven best runners-up will advance to the final tournament.