FOOTBALL – ABDULLA Yusuf Helal scored a splendid first-half goal to lead Bahrain to a 1-0 win over Jordan in their last Group E game of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, yesterday with the Reds qualifying for the round of 16 as table-toppers with six points.
Bahrain had entered the crucial final group fixture with three points from their 1-0 win over Malaysia following a 2-1 loss to South Korea in their first game, behind Jordan and the Koreans who both had four points, needing to win at all costs to ensure that they qualified directly for the next round by finishing in the top two teams instead of finishing third and having to see if they were counted among the best four third-placed teams out of the six four-team groups.
They will now play Japan, who finished second in Group D, in their round of 16 fixture on Wednesday.
“I think our performance today was excellent and we are very happy to have topped our group,” Bahrain head coach Juan Antonio Pizzi said afterwards at a Press conference.
“We were well-prepared so we have clinched the three points. We respect all teams and, before any match, we study the rival team carefully.
“I always work and plan according to my team’s performance. I have been taught one competitive method which I follow in my life. All the matches we play are tough. Whoever we play against, we give the same importance to them.”
Pizzi changed his strategy for yesterday afternoon’s match by starting with Helal, after bringing him on in the second half in both the previous first-round matches, and the tall striker ensured that the tactic paid off with a 34th minute effort for the only goal of the game.
But, with the 40,000-seat stadium almost filled to capacity by fans of both teams, it was Jordan, high on confidence after drubbing Malaysia 4-0 in their first game and holding South Korea to a 2-2 draw in their second, who began the match with a definite sense of purpose leading to Anas Bani Yaseen sending the ball just wide of the Bahrain goal in the 14th minute.
Bahrain retaliated almost immediately through midfielder Mohamed Marhoon but his looping effort went straight into Jordan goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila’s arms.
Soon afterwards, Yazan Al Naimat came close to scoring for Jordan but his blistering shot sent the ball sailing across the mouth of the Bahrain goal just out of reach of goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfalla.
Just 11 minutes before the break, though, Bahrain managed to take the lead with the 6’4” Helal sprinting for a cross down the middle by midfielder Komail Al Aswad before entering the Jordan box and sending the ball into the back of the net, past the outstretched left hand of Abulaila.
Barely four minutes later, Bahrain had the chance to go 2-0 up but Marhoon hit the ball over the bar.
After heading into the change room at half-time with their 1-0 lead intact, Bahrain looked dangerous in the second half and came close to making it 2-0 in the 52nd minute but Ali Madan shot the ball over.
A few minutes later, Bahrain rued another missed opportunity with Marhoon narrowly failing to make it to a lofted pass in the Jordan box with Abulaila punching the ball to safety.
Jordan had a chance to draw level in the 60th minute but midfielder Ali Olwan headed a cross straight to Lutfalla from close range.
After both coaches made multiple changes to their teams over the next 10 minutes, Jordan threatened again through Al Naimat but the forward hit the ball straight to Lutfalla.
Bahrain fell back on defence, thereafter, tightening their formation and not allowing the Jordanians to make any headway into their box.
Five minutes later, Helal came close to scoring again but his right-footed effort from outside the box was blocked. Nine minutes on, Helal was involved in another attempt on the Jordan goal as he passed to Hussain Al Eker but his shot was saved by Abulaila.
With a minute left till the end of the regulation 90 minutes, Helal had yet another chance to double Bahrain’s lead but his right-footed free kick from just outside the Jordan box cannoned straight into Abulaila’s chest before ricocheting to the right where it was cleared by a defender.
Eight minutes of injury time didn’t prove to be useful for either team before the final whistle was blown.
Meanwhile, in the other Group E match yesterday, South Korea saw their hopes of topping the group dashed by a determined Malaysian team who snatched a 3-3 draw with an astonishing equaliser in the 15th minute of injury time at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.
South Korea would have finished with seven points, ahead of Bahrain, if they had won and, as the game ticked past the regulation 90 minutes, they led 3-2 and looked on course to register their second win of the preliminary round.
But substitute Romel Morales, who came on in the 11 minute of injury time, scuppered South Korea’s plans with a beautiful strike from the top of the box that sent the ball into the right-hand corner of the net to trigger wild celebrations in the Malaysian camp with the final whistle being blown immediately afterwards.
Meanwhile, in the two Group F matches yesterday, Saudi Arabia were held goalless by Thailand at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan while Kyrgzstan battled Oman to a 1-1 draw at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha.
The Saudis finished as table-toppers with seven points while Thailand’s second place with five points meant that they also went through to the round of 16.
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