BAHRAIN’S senior men’s national football team suffered a 0-1 defeat to their counterparts from Syria last night in an international friendly match played at the National Stadium in Riffa.
Forward Omar Souma scored the winning goal for the visitors. He found the net in the 30th minute of play, stunning the home side.
The Bahrainis tried valiantly to fight back over the remainder of the contest but they could not find the finishing touches to level the score. The Syrians also did well to hold on to their slim advantage.
The game was the first of two exhibition fixtures this week scheduled for the nationals. The Bahrainis next take on Palestine on Tuesday next week.
Head coach Miroslav Soukup is set to resume training for the Bahrainis ahead of their second friendly. The Czech national is expected to prepare a squad that is generally similar to the team that suited up against Syria last night.
The tune-ups are a part of the Bahrainis’ preparations for upcoming tournaments, including the AFC Asian Cup 2019 scheduled for January of next year.
Bahrain have been drawn in Group ‘A’ for the Asian Cup alongside tournament hosts UAE, India and Thailand. Group ‘B’ comprises Australia, Jordan, Palestine and Syria. Group ‘C’ features China, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines. Group ‘D’ includes Iran, Iraq, Vietnam and Yemen. Group ‘E’ is composed of North Korea, Lebanon, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Group ‘F’ includes Japan, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The AFC Asian Cup 2019 will be Bahrain’s sixth participation in the continental showcase. Their best finish was in 2004, when they claimed fourth place overall out of 16 participating in the group stage after losing two of their three games.
Bahrain will be featuring in the inaugural match of the Asian Cup in the 43,000-capacity Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi. It will on January 5 against hosts UAE.