FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN kicked off their training in Jakarta last night in preparation for their clash with Indonesia on Tuesday in the third round of Asian qualifiers for the Fifa World Cup 2026.
The kingdom’s senior men’s football national team held their practice session under the supervision of head coach Dragan Talajic at the external pitches of Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, which will host their upcoming match.
Talajic divided the squad into two groups. The first was composed of the players who started their previous game against Japan last Thursday, which they lost 0-2. They underwent recovery training at the gym of the team’s residence at The Langham, Jakarta. The second group comprised the other players, who conducted a regular practice session that involved physical exercises and ball drills.
Tuesday’s game will be the eighth for Bahrain in Group C in this stage of continental qualification. They are currently fifth on the division standings with six points, tied with the Indonesians and China. Bahrain have just one win to go with three draws and three losses. Indonesia are currently ranked above the Bahrainis and Chinese as per the tie-break rules.
Japan are in first place with 19 points and have officially booked their place in next year’s Fifa World Cup with three matches still to play. Australia follow in second with 10 points, while Saudi Arabia are third on nine.
Tuesday’s fixture is scheduled for a 4.45pm kick-off, Bahrain time.
Meanwhile, the Bahrain Football Association (BFA) announced yesterday that defender Hamad Shamsan, who suffered an injury in their game against Japan, has been diagnosed with a second-degree hamstring tear. This was determined by the national team’s medical staff.
The BFA confirmed that he will not be available for the match with Indonesia, but did not indicate the period he will require for recovery.
Bahrain’s Amine Benaddi will also be out for their upcoming assignment after receiving a yellow card in their last game.
Following Tuesday’s affair, the Bahrainis will have two more fixtures in this stage of continental qualification. They will both be in June – against Saudi at home on June 5 and then against China away on June 10.
There are three groups in this round of the Asian qualifiers for the Fifa World Cup 2026. 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 next year’s Fifa World Cup. The third and fourth-placed squads will compete in a fourth round of continental qualification.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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