Bahrain have set sights on a spot in the quarter-finals as they take on South Korea in the round 16 of the Asian Cup today.
The match kicks off at 4pm at Rashid Stadium in Dubai. The winners will face either Qatar or Iraq, who will clash tonight at 7pm.
Bahrain and South Korea have met twice in Asian Cup’s history – Bahrain defeated South Korea 2-1 in 2007 while South Korea edged Bahrain 2-1 in 2011.
Bahrain’s will have a tough task this time facing South Korea who defeated former world champions Germany 2-0 in the 2018 World Cup group stage.
Bahrain qualified for the round 16 as one of the third-placed teams from the six groups. The team finished third with four points after a 1-0 victory over India, a 1-1 draw with UAE and a 0-1 defeat against Thailand.
South Korea earned full points in the group stage with nine points after defeating Philippines (1-0), Kyrgyzstan (1-0) and China (2-0).
Bahrain coach Miroslav Soukup said that his team is ready for a tough challenge.
“South Korea are considered to be one of the best teams in Asia, and most of their players play in European leagues. However, when it comes to the knock-out stage, the chances are equal,” said Soukup at a press conference held yesterday.
“We are ready for this match, and my players are confident, and hopefully we will achieve our goal,” he added.
Team member Kumail Al Aswad said that the players will give their best against South Korea.
“There is nothing impossible in football. We will work hard and do our best to secure victory,” said Al Aswad.