Bahrain senior men’s football national team will now shift their focus back to their historic bid to qualify for the Fifa World Cup 2026.
With their resounding title success in the 26th Gulf Cup behind them, the kingdom’s internationals are headed back to their respective clubs and are only expected to return to national team duty in early March.
The Bahrainis have four matches remaining in their Group C campaign in the third round of Asian qualifiers – three away and just one more at home.
The nationals first play Japan away on March 20, and then take on Indonesia on March 25, also away. They then host Saudi Arabia on June 5 in their penultimate fixture, and then close out this phase against China away on June 10.
All match venues and kick-off times 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.
The Bahrainis are currently fifth on the Group C table where they are tied with three other nations on points. Japan are in first place with 16 points after winning five of their six games so far. Australia follow with seven points, but are just one ahead of Indonesia, Saudi, Bahrain and China, who all have six points apiece in this tightly contested pool.
“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,” Bahrain head coach Dragan Talajic had said before heading into the fourth-month break in qualification.
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