FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN head coach Dragan Talajic could not hide his emotions on Tuesday night as he expressed his pride in his players for their effort and fighting spirit in the ongoing third round of Asian qualifiers for the Fifa World Cup 2026.
Talajic teared up during his post-game Press conference following the national team’s 2-2 draw with Australia – their second match in a week in which they gave up a late goal to deny them a more favourable result.
The Bahrainis had fought back from being a goal down against the Australians to take a 2-1 lead, but then conceded a 96th-minute equaliser that forced them to settle for a share of the points. In their previous encounter against China, Bahrain had a late goal disallowed and then yielded a 91st-minute winner to their rivals, making for a heart-breaking defeat.
Talajic said that his players are giving their all in their quest for an historic first-ever Fifa World Cup berth and that they do not deserve such demoralising setbacks.
“I am emotional because my boys deserve much more,” said Talajic, who later joked that he was tearing up because he had something in his eye.
“We are playing for each other, fighting for each other, and my boys are showing their all.
“I am really sorry for them, even in our game against China. I don’t want to say anything except to believe in us and we will fight for the kingdom.
“We will do the best that we can, we will fight for the country, we will fight for all Bahrainis, and we will fight for ourselves, and inshaallah, with everyone’s support, we will make our target and qualify for the World Cup.”
Talajic stressed that despite losing crucial points in their last two games, they are still very much alive in the hotly contested battle for a Fifa World Cup berth. Things are only getting tighter, though, as the Bahrainis are one of four national teams on six points apiece with only four matches remaining – just a single point behind Australia who are second in the Group C table behind unbeaten Japan.
“I am very proud of my players and we will keep working hard for our next games,” Talajic said. “Each game remaining will be difficult, and for every one of them, my boys will be ready to play.”
Bahrain’s star forward Mahdi Abduljabbar, who was named the Player of the Match against the Australians, echoed his coach’s sentiments.
“We now have six points but there are still many more points to get in our next games,” Abduljabbar said through an interpreter. “We will continue to fight in every single game.”
Bahrain’s qualification campaign continues in March of 2025. The nationals play Japan away on March 20, and then take on Indonesia on March 25, also away. They then host Saudi on June 5 in their penultimate fixture, and then close out this phase against China away on June 10.
All match venues are still to be confirmed by Fifa and the AFC.
There are three groups in all in this round of continental qualifiers. 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.
Only the top two finishers from each group will punch their tickets to the Fifa World Cup 2026. The third and fourth-placed squads will compete in a fourth round of Asian qualification.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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