Bahrain and Qatar will clash tonight in a high-stakes Group B Qualifiers game for the 2023 AFC Under-20 Asian Cup at the Muharraq Stadium with the match billed as a ‘virtual final’ by the host team’s manager.
That’s because the winners will go directly through to the main event, scheduled to be held next March in Uzbekistan.
Both teams are undefeated in the five-team group. But Qatar have the advantage, having won all three of their games to lead the table with nine points.
Bahrain are just two points behind, with seven from their two wins over Bhutan (2-1) on Friday night and a 6-0 thrashing of Nepal last Wednesday, preceded by a goalless draw with Bangladesh a week ago.
If Bahrain win, they will leapfrog Qatar to go to 10 points, thus enabling them to qualify directly for the Asian Cup. But, they will still have a chance to qualify even if they lose with the Asian Cup’s rules stating that the top-five second-placed teams in the 10-group qualifying stage also go through to the main event.
“This is a massive game for us,” Bahrain manager, Juma Almahmeed told the GDN last night as the Bahrain squad was put through their paces by coach Adel Abdulla Alnoaimi in preparation for the match.
“It’s like a final for both teams. Our players have been training hard and are completely focused on the task ahead,” he added.
An important part of the team’s preparation for the big game was the need to focus on ‘mental recovery’ as well as the need to be sufficiently rested after having played two high-intensity games in the last three days.
“This is an important element of our preparation,” he explained. “All these boys are so young, they’re keyed up for the biggest game of their lives so I’m sure there’s more than a hint of nervousness around. So mental conditioning becomes absolutely necessary because it helps them to both calm down a bit and retain their focus.”
But, despite what was at stake, both he and Alnoaimi had stressed to the players that it didn’t matter what the eventual result would be, Almahmeed said.
“We’ve told them to go out and play the best they can and not worry about winning or losing,” he continued. “At the end of the day, it’s just another result. What matters is the attitude with which they play the game. We want them to enjoy themselves when they play and to just put good football on display.”
On Friday night after the 2-1 win over Bhutan, Almahmeed had described both teams as being evenly-matched and tonight’s game being a sort of Arabian Gulf derby and he made the same point again last night.
“Qatar are a very good team,” he said. “But, so are we! The game promises to be an enjoyable one and it’ll provide a wonderful learning experience for our young players, as indeed this entire tournament has.”
Almahmeed added that the task of the team management, coaching and support staff was not just to ensure that the players were tournament- and match-ready, it was also to pinpoint which members of the squad were likely to be eventually groomed for the senior national team.
“I think all these players have the potential to play for the senior side in the future,” he declared. “I can already see some that are definitely sure to make it to our national team. Our captain, Mubarak Mohamed bin Ahmed, is one. Our goalkeeper, Mohamed Hasan Jaafar, is already one of the best goalies in Bahrain, so there’s no question in my mind that he will play for the senior team one day.”
One player that Almahmeed lavished particular praise on was midfielder Abdulla Jamal Hashem.
“He’s truly remarkable,” the Bahrain manager stressed. “Abdulla is still only 16 but the way he plays is outstanding. All of us think he is one of the stars of the future. In this team, we rely on him quite a bit because he’s so skilful and creates so many openings. He’ll be an asset for the senior team in the same way.”
Almahmeed added that he expected all three – bin Ahmed, Jaafar and Hashem – to be in top form in tonight’s game.
“All three of them have done excellently throughout the tournament,” he explained. “And, I expect the others to also be in good nick. They’ll have to gel together and play as a unit because Qatar are not just a very good side, they plan, strategise and play as a group. So, if we are to beat them, we have to do the same.”
The match will start at 9pm.
It will be preceded by the second-last Group B game, which will be played between Nepal and Bangladesh with the kick-off scheduled for 6pm.
Nepal, with three losses from their three games, are at the bottom of the table and out of the reckoning but Bangladesh, who have four points, could draw level with Bahrain if they beat Nepal and the hosts lose to Qatar. However, Bahrain should still be the runners-up in the group because of goal difference.
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