FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN’S senior men’s football national team held their first on-pitch training session last night since returning from Australia, as they gear up for their next match in Asian qualification for the Fifa World Cup 2026.
The Bahrainis took to the field at Al Ahli Club Stadium in Mahooz and got right to work under the supervision of head coach Dragan Talajic.
Earlier in the day yesterday, the nationals also worked on their physical fitness in a session at their internal camp at InterContinental Bahrain.
The Bahrainis are getting set to take on powerhouses Japan, Asia’s top-ranked side, on Tuesday at the National Stadium in Riffa. It will be their second game in Group C in this stage of qualifiers.
Bahrain first played Australia away last Thursday and claimed an historic 1-0 victory – their first-ever win against the Australians in international football’s senior men’s level. The Japanese also made a winning start to their campaign that same day, drubbing China 7-0 in a match played in the Japanese city of Saitama.
Japan have already arrived in the kingdom and have also already begun their preparations. Their visiting national team are residing at Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence and Spa Bahrain, according to a Bahrain Football Association (BFA) official.
Meanwhile, the BFA announced yesterday the seating assignments for fans at the National Stadium for Tuesday’s game.
There are category one and general admission seats. Tickets to category one seats cost BD10 apiece. These are located on either side of the VIP section, with the left side being assigned to Bahrain’s fans and the right side for families and Japan fans.
Tickets for category one seats are now available and can be purchased at the BFA headquarters in Riffa until tomorrow, between 8am and 2pm.
More information on general admission seating will be announced today by the BFA.
Both Talajic and Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu have 27-player squads for their upcoming clash. A majority of the Japanese team features stars who suit up for top football clubs across Europe.
In other Group C games on Tuesday, Indonesia host Australia at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, while China welcome Saudi Arabia to Dalian Suoyuwan Football Stadium. Both contests are scheduled for 3pm kick-offs, Bahrain time.
The Saudis were held to a 1-1 stalemate at home by their Indonesian rivals in the third game of opening match day last week.
Action in continental qualification’s third round continues until June of next year. There are three groups in this phase. Group A features Iran, Qatar, Uzbekistan, the UAE, Kyrgyzstan and North Korea; while Group B is composed of South Korea, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Palestine and Kuwait.
The top two finishers from each will punch their tickets to the Fifa World Cup 2026 finals.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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