FOOTBALL – Bahrain’s under-23 Olympic football team suffered a last-gasp 0-1 defeat to their counterparts from Iraq last night in a friendly match played in the Iraqi city of Basra.
The game was the first of two tune-ups held as part of their overseas training camp in Iraq. The Bahrainis are in their gathering to gear up for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, which are scheduled to be held next month.
A goal in the seventh minute of second-half injury time was enough to separate the two sides. Iraq’s Mustafa Nawaf headed in from close range with a brilliant effort off a cross from the left wing, supplied by teammate Emad Mohammed.
It was literally Iraq’s final touch of open play, as the final whistle was blown just seconds later.
The two teams meet once again for their second and last friendly on Tuesday.
Bahrain’s Iraq camp is their second overseas trip this summer, after previously competing in a four-nation tournament in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, last month.
Olympic team head coach Ali Abdulmajeed has 24 players in this gathering. They include skipper Mubarak Mohammed, Issa Abdulla, Ahmed Dhiya, Abdulla Al Qassab, Mohammed Al Shihani, Salman Younes, Bader Al Asam, Abdulla Al Obaidli, Sayed Ahmed Al Wadaie, Mahmood Al Bannai, Abdulrahman Aboud, Rashed Mujiran, Abdulrahman Al Khayyat, Salem Al Dosari, Ali Sahwan, Saad Al Attar, Saud Mohsen, Ali Tarada, Hassan Samir, Abdulla Al Subaie, Khaled Khalaf, and goalkeepers Ashraf Mubarak, Mohammed Khalifa, and Abdulla Freah.
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