FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN are fully focused on winning all four of their remaining games in the third round of Asian qualifying for the Fifa World Cup 2026.
This was reiterated by the kingdom’s Gulf Cup-winning senior men’s football national team head coach Dragan Talajic.
The Bahrainis have begun their preparations for their upcoming qualifiers, which include away fixtures against Japan and Indonesia in the coming weeks.
Talajic had said after winning the 26th Gulf Cup title that the time is now for his team to step up and show the world that they are capable of realising their dream of securing an historic berth in football’s premier competition, and he has boldly claimed that they will win their last four fixtures in this stage of qualifying.
Talajic has stood firm on his bold expectation.
“This message [about winning all our remaining games], my boys already know,” Talajic told the GDN on the sidelines of a training session at the Bahrain Football Association pitches in Riffa.
“We have come here to make our preparations against Japan and Indonesia with only one thing in our head: we are going to win every single game.”
Talajic added that he is pleased with the atmosphere within the team as they have gathered for the first time since their historic Gulf Cup success in January.
“I am very happy – when we had our first training, I saw my boys how they are so happy to be together,” Talajic said. “This is family thinking, and I am so proud of them.
“Yesterday was a nice training – just a little bit and today we did a little harder work. I am so happy because during the holy month of Ramadan, they have come to training with real patience to work hard.”
Talajic said that some players are currently dealing with minor issues but should be fully fit in the coming week ahead of their games against Japan on March 20 and Indonesia on March 25.
“We have some small problems, but nothing serious,” he explained. “I hope everything will be finished in one or two days more and that everybody will be ready for the training.”
A majority of Talajic’s 26 call-ups have reported for Bahrain’s local gathering. Mohammed Jassim Marhoon, who plays with Kuwait SC of Kuwait, joined their practice last night, while Komail Al Aswad, who competes with Al Arabi of Kuwait, will join the team in the coming days as he is still on club duty.
“I am waiting for Marhoon and Komail, they are the most important players for us and inshallah they will come without any injury,” Talajic said.
The national team delegation are scheduled to depart for the Far East in the early morning hours of Thursday later this week.
Bahrain go up against Japan at Saitama Stadium 2002 in Saitama, scheduled for a 1.35pm kick-off, Bahrain time; and then against Indonesia at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, set for a 4.45pm kick-off, also Bahrain.
These will be the seventh and eighth fixtures in their Group C bid in this round of Asian qualifiers for the Fifa World Cup 2026.
The rest of Talajic’s squad for their clashes with Japan and Indonesia are Mahdi Abduljabbar, Mahdi Humaidan, Ali Madan, Sayed Dhiya Saeed, Amine Benaddi, Waleed Al Hayyam, Ebrahim Luthfallah, Ismaeel Abdullatif, Mohammed Al Rumaihi, Ali Haram, Sayed Mahdi Baqer, Ahmed Bughammar, Abdulla Al Khalasi, Hazza Ali, Vincent Emmanuel, Jassim Al Shaikh, Hamad Shamsan, Hussain Abdulkarim, Ahmed Al Sherooqi, Ebrahim Al Khattal, Ahmed Al Wadaie, Sayed Mohammed Jaafar, Hussain Al Eker, and Abdulkarim Al Fardan.
Following this month’s assignments, the Bahrainis will have two more games in this stage of continental qualification. They will both be in June – against Saudi Arabia at home on June 5 and then against China away on June 10.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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