FOOTBALL – Bahrain's football national teams are always looking to “achieve above our targets” in international play, the kingdom’s football chief says.
Bahrain is getting ready to compete in a pair of major competitions in the coming period, headlined by the Fifa Arab Cup 2025 this November and December and the third Asian Youth Games 2025 starting in just over a week’s time.
Bahrain Football Association (BFA) president Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa expressed his confidence in the kingdom’s squads ahead of the tournaments, featuring the senior men’s national team in the Fifa Arab Cup and Bahrain’s futsal girls’ and boys’ squads in the Asian Youth Games.
“The next big thing on our schedule is the Fifa Arab Cup – our team had two friendly matches this past week but lost both of them, but the whole objective was to gain experience in playing these games,” Shaikh Ali told the GDN last night during a gathering of the BFA board with national media, held at the BFA headquarters in Riffa.
“We will be ready to participate in this very important tournament, inshaallah, and we also have the Asian Youth Games.”
“We are always looking to achieve above our targets in these events.”
Prior to being a part of the Fifa Arab Cup 2025, Bahrain must first win their qualifying game against Djibouti on November 26.
It will be held at Doha’s Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, with the victors securing their spot in the group stage, which kicks off on December 1.
Should the Bahrainis book their seat, they will be in Group D where they will join Algeria, Iraq, and either Lebanon or Sudan, who also play in a qualifier on November 26.
Meanwhile, Bahrain’s futsal girls’ and boys’ teams will compete in their respective competitions in the Asian Youth Games in the kingdom.
The futsal programme is scheduled to be held from October 23 to 31, with matches taking place at Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town.
Of the BFA’s meeting with Bahrain’s media, Shaikh Ali commented: “This is our first gathering with the media as the BFA board, and it is part of a new way we will cooperate with the media apparatus in the kingdom.”
“Whether it’s newspapers or social media accounts, creating a partnership is the way forward for our national teams and competitions, and it is a healthy way to build our historical relationship with the media platforms in Bahrain.”
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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