FOOTBALL – Bahrain's under-23 football team will be gunning for the bronze medals today in the 2025 West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) U23 Championship, which comes to a close in Muscat, Oman.
The kingdom’s representatives will be facing off with Syria in the match for third place, scheduled for a 7.45pm kick-off, Bahrain time, at Sultan Quboos Sports Complex Stadium.
That will be followed at the same venue by the final between Jordan and hosts Oman, set for a 10.45pm start.
The Bahrainis have been made to settle to battle for the bronze medals after losing to their Omani rivals 0-2 in their semi-final. The Jordanians, meanwhile, defeated the Syrians 1-0 to secure their place in the title-decider.
The regional competition is being held in its sixth edition and is being organised and run by the WAFF.
Bahrain are coached by Moroccan Hicham Dimai, who has a 26-player squad in the Omani capital.
The team roster includes Mohammed Arhama, Ashraf Mubarak, Abdullah Freeh, Badr Al Assam, Ahmed Mahmood, Ali Al Bannai, Sayed Mahmood Al Mosawi, Salman Younes, Faisal Saleh, Ali Al Enezi, Ramzi Abdulla, Mahmood Al Bannai, Mohammed Al Jishi, Khaled Khalaf, Ahmed Dhiya, Jamal Al Tiri, Ali Sahwan, Ali Al Dosari, Jassim Dadallah, Ali Tarada, Rashid Majeran, Hashem Khulaifat, Abdulrahman Al Khayyat, Abdulla Al Subaie, Ali Sanad, and Saud Mohsen.
As part of their participation in the WAFF championship, Bahrain’s under-23 nationals are also gearing up to play in the qualifiers of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026.
This is scheduled for September later this year, to determine the teams that will compete in next year’s tournament proper, set to be held in Saudi Arabia.
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