FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN goalkeeper Sayed Mohammed Jaafar announced yesterday his retirement from international football.
Jaafar is the kingdom’s most-capped senior men’s national team player with 163 appearances to his name.
According to statistics made available on fifa.com, Jaafar enjoyed an international playing career that spanned 20 years from 2004 to 2024. His first-ever cap was against Thailand in July of 2004, and then his last appearance for Bahrain on the pitch was last year in December against Yemen during the 26th Gulf Cup. That tournament was the second time he won the prestigious regional title, adding to the first-ever crown in 2019.
“I am proud of what I have given throughout my career with the national team,” Jaafar was quoted as saying by our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej. “The time has come to make room for the new generation, and I wish all the best to the young players in the upcoming challenges.”
Jaafar is arguably the most celebrated goalkeeper in the history of Bahrain football. He has been a key figure on the national team as well as for his club long-time Muharraq.
His career achievements include the two Gulf Cup titles, a West Asian Football Federation Championship crown in 2019, and two AFC Cup trophies with Muharraq in 2008 and 2021, along with a number of domestic trophies.
In 2022, Jaafar celebrated an impressive milestone of 150 caps when he started Bahrain’s international friendly match against Thailand in Bangkok.
According to Fifa records, Jaafar has played two international A games more than former Bahrain defender Mohamed Husain and three more than ex-midfielder Salman Issa.
Other Bahraini players, both retired and active, on the Fifa Century Club are Mohammed Salmeen, Ismaeel Abdullatif, Sayed Dhiya Saeed, Sayed Mahmood Jalal, Hussain Baba, Waleed Al Hayyam, Talal Yusuf, Husain Ahmed, Komail Alaswad, Rashed Al Dosari, Abdulla Al Marzooqi, Sayed Mohammed Adnan, Faouzi Aaish, Abdulwahab Al Safi, and Ali Madan.
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