FOOTBALL – Bahrain were dealt a narrow 0-1 loss to the UAE last night in a friendly match played at Za’abeel Stadium in Dubai.
Luis Martins Pereira scored the game’s lone goal in the 24th minute for the hosts.
The contest took place as part of Fifa’s international break.
Both the Bahrainis and Emiratis are gearing up for their upcoming competitions, which include the Fifa Arab Cup 2025 this December, to be held in the Qatari capital.
The UAE are also preparing for round four of the Asian qualifiers for the Fifa World Cup 2026, which kick off next month.
Yesterday’s clash was the second regional tune-up for the kingdom’s senior men’s football national team in the past week.
They had also played their counterparts from Qatar in Doha in an affair that ended in a 2-2 stalemate.
Bahrain head coach Dragan Talajic fielded a starting 11 last night that included Ebrahim Luthfallah between the goalposts; Amine Benaddi, Waleed Al Hayyam, Hamad Shamsan, and Abdulla Al Khalasi in defence; Ali Madan, Mohammed Jassim Marhoon, Sayed Dhiya Saeed, and Mahdi Humaidan in midfield; and Ebrahim Al Khattal and Komail Al Aswad up front.
A Madan volley in the fourth minute that was on target was punched away by UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eisa Almesmari. Luthfallah then made a comfortable save on a sixth-minute, left-footed effort by Emirati Yahya Ali Alghassani.
Bahrain needed to make an early substitution in the 12th minute after Madan suffered a knock. He was replaced by Mahdi Abduljabbar.
Moments later, the nationals were lucky not to go behind after Pereira hit the right post with a chipped shot over Luthfallah in a one-on-one.
Pereira received an impressive through-pass from teammate Abdulla Ramadan Bakheet, but could not finish.
He later made up for that miss, however, when he put the home side ahead in the 24th minute.
Pereira received a perfect lob pass from Nicolas Ezequiel Gimenez in a one-two, and then hit a floating shot over Luthfallah into the net.
On the stroke of half-time, Almesmari kept out a clearance effort by teammate Marcus Vinicius Meloni that was headed towards their own goal. The Emiratis thus took the slim 1-0 lead into the break.
After the re-start, Bahrain pressed harder and Talajic inserted some fresh legs in the hopes of finding an equaliser.
Bahrain almost scored in the 72nd minute when Abduljabbar delivered a cross towards fellow-substitute Sayed Mahdi Sharaf in front of the net, but it went uncollected and rolled inches past the outside of the left post.
Ahmed Bughammar then had a header in the 87th minute go just wide off the right post.
The UAE’s Erik Jorgens de Menezes had a chance to put the game away and add to their score two minutes into second-half injury time, but his low, well-hit effort flew by the left upright.
Bahrain are scheduled to fly back to the kingdom today to conclude their latest training gathering under Talajic.
Their two friendlies over the past week were their first official games since their disappointing exit from the third round of continental qualifying for the Fifa World Cup 2026 last June.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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