FOOTBALL – Bahrain's under-23 Olympic football team are in high spirits ahead of the start of their qualifying campaign today for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026.
The nationals are in Group H of qualification, being held in Doha, Qatar, and they face off with their counterparts from India this evening in their opening assignment. The game is scheduled for a 6.15pm kick-off, Bahrain time, and it will be played at Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium.
Speaking ahead of the start of play, Bahrain head coach Ali Abdulmajeed expressed his confidence in his team. “I have our players ready – I trust in their abilities and I believe that this group is capable of competing with anyone, with one spirit and one heart,” Abdulmajeed said through an interpreter during his official pre-match Press conference.
“All teams enter the competition with one eye on qualifying, but we know very well that the road is not easy and the competition is strong,” Abdulmajeed added.
“We direct all our focus towards the opening match against India. I thank the Bahrain Football Association for providing us with all the camps and equipment we have needed.
“We have played enough friendly matches against good opponents, which have contributed to our team’s readiness.”
Also in Group H are Brunei Darussalam and hosts Qatar, who clash in today’s other divisional tie at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium. It is scheduled for an 8pm kick-off, Bahrain time.
Abdulmajeed’s squad for the qualifiers includes Issa Abdulla, Hashem Khulaifat, Abdulla Al Qassab, Mohammed Al Shehani, Salman Younes, Bader Al Asam, Abdulla Al Obaidli, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaie, Mahmoud Al Bannai, Khaled Khalaf, Rashed Mujeran, Abdulrahman Al Khayyat, Salem Al Doseri, Ali Sahwan, Saad Al Attar, Saud Mohsen, Hassan Sameer, Abdulla Al Subaie, Sayed Mahmoud Al Mosawi, Ahmed Dhiya, and skipper Mubarak Mohammed, along with goalkeepers Ashraf Mubarak, Mohammed Khalifa, and Abdulla Freah.
They held their final training session last night ahead of their game today.
“We are committed to playing matches that are worthy of the reputation of Bahraini football,” said Mubarak Mohammed. “We aim to show an honourable image that reflects the team’s spirit and determination.”
Following tonight’s encounter, Bahrain’s under-23s next take on Brunei Darussalam on Saturday, also at 6.15pm at the same venue.
They then complete their Group H schedule against home side Qatar on Tuesday next week at 8pm at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.
Bahrain are one of 44 Olympic teams hoping to book a berth in next year’s AFC U23 Asian Cup.
The field has been divided into 11 groups, each being held in a centralised location.
At the end of a single round-robin, each group winner and the four best best-ranked runners-up will book their tickets to next year’s competition proper and join hosts Saudi Arabia, who are staging the event for the first time.
Group A features hosts Jordan, Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei, and Bhutan; Group B is composed of hosts Myanmar, Japan, Kuwait, and Afghanistan; Group C consists of hosts Vietnam, Yemen, Singapore, and Bangladesh; Group D comprises hosts China, Australia, Timor-Leste, and Northern Mariana Islands; Group E features hosts Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Palestine, and Sri Lanka; Group F consists of hosts Thailand, Malaysia, Lebanon, and Mongolia; Group G is composed of hosts Cambodia, Iraq, Oman, and Pakistan; Group I comprises hosts UAE, Iran, Hong Kong, and Guam; Group J features hosts Indonesia, South Korea, Laos, and Macau; and Group K is composed of hosts Tajikistan, Syria, the Philippines, and Nepal.
Next year’s AFC U23 Asian Cup will be its seventh edition. Bahrain have qualified for the tournament just once in the past – in the 2020 event held in Bangkok, Thailand.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))