BAHRAIN take on Jordan today at 7pm in a Group ‘E’ qualifying round match for the AFC Under-19 Championships 2020 at the Khalifa Stadium in Isa Town.
In the first match, Bangladesh clash with Bhutan at 4.15pm. The winner of this group qualify for the 2020 AFC Championship to be held in Uzbekistan next October.
Bahrain are on pole position to qualify as a draw against Jordan is enough for them to top the group as they have six points from two successive victories, over Bangladesh 3-0 on Wednesday and against Bhutan 4-0 on Friday.
Jordan are second on four points from a victory and draw while Bangladesh are on one and Bhutan yet to score.
There are 11 groups in the qualifiers with each team in each group playing each other at a centralised venue.
The 11 group winners and the four best runners-up qualify for the AFC Under-19 Championship 2020.
Qualify
If the final tournament hosts win their group or are among the four best runners-up, the fifth best runners-up also qualify.
Iraq, Qatar, Tajikistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia are hosting other qualifying tournaments.
Bahrain finished second in the same event in 1977 and 1986 and are presently looking to qualify for the finals for the 10th time.
The last time the Bahrainis qualified for the final was in 2016 as hosts and they stormed into the quarter-finals and ultimately finished seventh.
The Bahrain team is coached by Ismail Karami and includes 23 players: Abdullah Salem, Salman Adil, Mohammed Khalifa, Saud Al Hazza, Ahmed Muslim, Salem Hussein, Hani Taha, Abdul Rahman Alobaidly, Saleh Badr, Talal Al Zayed, Abdulaziz Mirbati, Ibrahim Ali Mohammed Abdul Gayoom, Hussein Akri, Hussein Hronh, Mubarak Mohammed Adel Rumaihi, Syed Haider Jawad, Abdullah Tiger, Ali Khalifa, Mr. Abdul Rahman, Syed Mehdi Sharaf Khalifa Quss.