FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN’S under-20 women’s football national team kick off their campaign today in the qualifiers for the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026.
The Bahrainis are in Group G of qualifying along with Jordan, Northern Mariana Islands, and Uzbekistan, who are hosting their pool’s matches.
The nationals face off with the home team tonight at 6.30pm, Bahrain time. The game is set to be played at Do’stlik Stadium in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.
Bahrain play their next fixture on Friday against the Jordanians at 3.30pm, to be followed by their last game against Northern Mariana Islands on Sunday, again at 3.30pm. Both times are Bahrain, and the two matches will be played at the same venue.
The Bahrainis are making their debut in qualification for the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup. They are one of 32 under-20 women’s national teams who are vying for a place in the continental competition, which is scheduled to be held in April of next year in Thailand.
The field has been divided into eight groups of four for qualification. Each group’s matches are being played at a centralised location.
The AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 will feature 12 teams in all. The Thais have automatically booked their place in the tournament as hosts.
The winners of each group in the qualifiers plus the three best-placed runners-up will secure their places.
Group A features North Korea, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, and hosts Bhutan; Group B is composed of Kyrgyzstan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and hosts Vietnam; Group C comprises Australia, Chinese Taipei, Palestine, and hosts Tajikistan; Group D includes India, Indonesia, Turkmenistan, and hosts Myanmar; Group E features Lebanon, Cambodia, Syria, and hosts China; Group F is composed of Japan, Iran, Guam, and hosts Malaysia; and Group H comprises South Korea, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, and hosts Laos.
Mongolia were also scheduled to take part but have withdrawn.
Bahrain’s under-20 women’s football national team arrived yesterday in Tashkent but faced some issues during their travel. A team official confirmed this with the GDN last night but declined to give any details.
The official, who is with the team in Uzbekistan, confirmed that they arrived safely and are ready to begin their qualifying campaign today.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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