FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN’S under-17 men’s football national team posted their second straight victory over their counterparts from Singapore in a friendly match played in the kingdom.
The nationals outclassed the visitors 3-0 at the Bahrain Football Association pitches in Riffa.
Star striker Hussain Zuhair, who has caught the eye of senior men’s football national team head coach Dragan Talajic, continues to impress. He scored a brace in the match, while teammate Mohammed Al Jazzaf supplied their other goal.
Al Jazzaf opened the scoring in the fifth minute, and then Zuhair added a goal apiece on either side of the break – first in the 20th minute and then again in the 49th.
Zuhair also had two goals in the Bahrainis’ 2-0 win against the Singaporeans in their first meeting played at home last week.
The games are part of Bahrain’s preparations for their upcoming competitions, which include the AGCFF U17 Gulf Cup 2025 later this month and the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers in November.
Bahrain, coached by Ugo Klingor from Croatia, are one of eight teams in the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) tournament, set to be held in Doha, Qatar, from Saturday next week until October 2. The kingdom’s side are set to compete in Group B of the tournament’s preliminary round alongside Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq. Group A features the UAE, Oman, Yemen, and hosts Qatar.
The AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers, meanwhile, are scheduled for November 22 to 30. Bahrain have been drawn in Group A, which is to be held in China, alongside the hosts, Bangladesh, Brunei, Timor-Leste, and Sri Lanka.
The 38-nation field has been divided into seven groups – each to be held at a centralised location. The nationals will be vying for just seven available places for the tournament proper, to be held from May 7 to 24 in Saudi Arabia next year.
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