From December 2005, Bangladesh began their 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification campaign, winning only a single game in the process, before once again failing to reach the main phase of the competition. The 2008 SAFF Cup also ended in huge disappointment, as Bangladesh were knocked out of the tournament during the group-stages, even after the BFF introduced the Bangladesh Premier League the previous year to improve the country's football. Their underwhelming SAFF campaign resulted in the dismissal of coach of Abu Yusuf. He was replaced by former national team player Shafiqul Islam Manik, who only lasted at the job for another three months. On 24 January 2009, Bangladesh appointed Brazilian coach Dido. Under his guidance the team saw an upturn in results, winning two of the three 2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers and advanced into the main tournament. However, he was sacked within 11 months as he refused to select established national team players. During his last interview before leaving Bangladesh, Dido criticized the country's footballing structure and stated that it was corrupt. This again raised questions about BFF president Kazi Salahuddin's management of the country's football. The 2009 SAFF Championship saw Bangladesh once again hosting the tournament. Former national team keeper Shahidur Rahman Shantoo was appointed as the interim coach just a few days before the tournament. His time at the job was also short lived, as the hosts were knocked out in the semi-final by eventual champions India. The deterioration in results over the following decade and more saw a massive decline in popularity of the country's football among fans, in both domestic and international stage. Decline (2011–present) On 29 June 2011, after a goalless away leg, Bangladesh beat Pakistan 3–0 on aggregate, at Dhaka, during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers–first round, the game took place only four days after Nikola Ilievski was appointed as the team's head coach. This allowed Bangladesh to advance to the second round to face Lebanon. The first game was played in Beirut on 23 July 2011, where the hosts won 4–0. The return game in Dhaka saw Bangladesh being eliminated, even after they managed to salvage a 2–0 victory against the middle eastern giants. However, the dearth of quality players was evident as the nation failed to win a single game during the entirety of the 2011 SAFF Championship. In January 2013, Lodewijk de Kruif took charge of the team, and