As Bahrain prepare to take on Palestine tomorrow at the Muharraq Stadium in their first game of the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, their head coach is confident that his team will put on a good show against opponents he termed a “strong, physical team”.
A 28-member squad has been training hard for the past couple of months for the three games Bahrain will play in the Asian Cup Qualifiers, with the kingdom’s team due to take on Pakistan and Japan in the remaining two matches.
“Our preparations are in the final stage,” head coach Dario Basic told the GDN yesterday after an intense practice session.
“We know that Palestine are a strong, physical team so we’ve prepared a strategy to counter their style of play.
“And we are now just focusing on the small details we want our boys to be aware of. We have no problem in motivating them because they are ready for this encounter, they are laser-focused on playing the best they can and getting off to a good start in the tournament.
“We all know that the opening games of any competition are always difficult so it is important that we compete well and get our campaign off to a positive start.”
Part of the squad’s preparation for the important tournament required them to attend a special training camp in Bangkok, Thailand, last month where they also played four practice games against local club sides as well as three international friendlies against U23 teams from Kuwait, Thailand and Vietnam.
“That worked extremely well for us because while we were in Bangkok, the squad got the chance to bond even more as a team, as a unit, because there were no outside distractions,” Basic explained.
“And the experience we gained in those international friendlies will also stand us in good stead for this game against the Palestinians who are big, strong boys, who hit a lot of long balls and generally are tough opposition. We know what to expect from them so we have prepared accordingly.”
The squad has been bolstered significantly by the return of two star players who were selected to join the senior team’s training camp in Serbia after arriving back in the kingdom on August 16.
“Abdulla Al Khalasi and Mubarak Mohamed are two of our key players and their return has strengthened us considerably,” Basic said.
“They bring big value to us and, like the rest of the boys, they are hugely motivated to do well against all three teams.”
&uuid=(email))