FOOTBALL – IT’S time once again for Bahrain to step up and deliver in joint-qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027.
This was highlighted last night by senior men’s football national team head coach Dragan Talajic, who spoke to the GDN as they kicked off their latest training gathering at the pitches of 2023-24 Nasser bin Hamad Bahrain Premier League champions Al Khaldiya in Riffa.
The Bahrainis are preparing to take on Yemen on June 6 at the National Stadium in Riffa, and then go up against the UAE on June 11 in Dubai.
“Now is the time to make something for the kingdom and for His Majesty the King, and inshaallah we will do it,” said the Croatian tactician.
Talajic and crew are upbeat heading into their upcoming fixtures, which will wrap up their Group H campaign in the continental qualifiers’ second round.
“I am very pleased because all of our players have come happy that they have finished their season and gave the best they can for their clubs,” Talajic said. “Some finished really good, some were in a difficult situation, but now is the time to make something for the country.”
Bahrain are currently second on their group table with nine points, behind only the undefeated Emiratis, who have a maximum 12 points. Yemen are third on three points while Nepal are last with zero.
The Bahrainis triumphed in their first two matches under Talajic’s supervision last March, both against Nepal. They first enjoyed a 5-0 drubbing of the visitors before securing a 3-0 win to move just a point away from confirming their berth in qualification’s next stage. But Talajic said that his team should not dwell on their past success and must instead focus on their next fixture against Yemen, especially with increased expectations from supporters.
“Our target is to qualify for the next round, and then after that we will continue with another target,” Talajic said.
“The most important thing I told my players is to think step by step. Those two games against Nepal are already finished and we must forget about them. We now concentrate on Yemen and I told my players to continue to play nice football. Be ready to play for the country because people are expecting some bigger level from us from what we did in our last two games.
“I am very happy with my boys, and I’m sure they will give their best for the kingdom to make all Bahraini people proud.”
Bahrain’s first meeting against Yemen in Group H was a 2-0 victory in November of last year, when they were coached by the departed Argentinian Juan Antonio Pizzi. They then lost to the UAE 0-2 in their next game that same month.
Talajic has named a 26-player squad for their two upcoming matches. Almost all of the team were present last night, with exception to the kingdom’s overseas-based professionals, namely Ali Madan, Abdulla Yusuf, Mohammed Jassim Marhoon and Mahdi Humaidan.
The rest of the team includes Komail Al Aswad, Jassim Al Shaikh, Sayed Mohammed Jaafar, Ismaeel Abdullatif, Sayed Dhiya Saeed, Waleed Al Hayyam, Abdulwahab Al Malood, Ebrahim Al Khattal, Hussain Abdulkarim, Ahmed Al Sherooqi, Abdulla Al Khalasi, Ebrahim Luthfallah, Ammar Mohammed, Sayed Mahdi Baqer, Hamad Al Shamsan, Mohammed Adel, Mohammed Al Banna, Hazza Ali, Ali Haram, Moses Atede, Mahdi Abduljabbar, and Amine Benaddi.
The top two nations in each of the second round’s nine qualification groups advance to round three of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying, and also secure their places in the AFC Asian Cup 2027.
Round three of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers will feature 18 teams, who will be divided into three groups of six. This stage will be played from September of this year to June of 2025, with the top two from each division punching their tickets to the FIFA World Cup 2026. The third and fourth-ranked squads will move on to play in a fourth round of continental qualification.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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