FOOTBALL – Bahrain head coach Dragan Talajic praised his players for showing “character” as they tried to fight back from two goals down in their 1-2 loss to Iraq on Wednesday evening in their opening fixture of the Fifa Arab Cup 2025 in Doha, Qatar.
The Croatian tactician highlighted that he continues to believe that his team can bounce back in their remaining two matches in group play and that “everything is in our hands”, as the Bahrainis aim to march through to the knockout stages.
“Congratulations to the Iraq national team and hard luck for us,” Talajic said during his post-game Press conference.
“They won the game using our two mistakes at the beginning. We tried to come back in the second half and we showed some character and pushed them. We scored one goal and created some more chances, but normally Iraq are a good team and they don’t give you too many chances to create.”
“At the end of the story, we lost this game but I still believe in my boys and we will now concentrate on our other two games. Everything is in our hands – playing good football and winning our other two games, we can go up also.”
An Ebrahim Lutfhallah own goal and a Mohanad Ali strike midway through the first half helped lift the Iraqis to their victory.
Substitute Sayed Hashem Isa then scored a lone consolation for Bahrain with under a quarter-hour remaining in regular time, but they could not find an equaliser.
Nonetheless, Talajic was encouraged by the way his side responded after the interval.
“In the dressing room, we were talking between each other and we tried to correct our mistakes,” Talajic said.
“In the second half, we looked a little bit better. We went out determined to try and correct something and to score. We tried to put pressure on Iraq and, believe me, in the second half we didn’t see any chances from them. Our players were listening and doing what we are always doing in training.”
“We were a little bit like what we need to be, but it was not enough, we didn’t have time to score a second goal. We created one or two excellent chances, but Iraq are a strong team. Any chances we create, we have to score.”
Defending champions Algeria and Sudan played to a goalless draw in the other Group D fixture on Wednesday.
The Bahrainis are next set to face off with the Algerians in their ensuing assignment tomorrow at Doha’s Khalifa International Stadium at 4.30pm, while Iraq and Sudan clash that same evening at Stadium 974 at 7pm.
“Inshaallah, I continue to believe in my boys,” Talajic stressed.
“Everything is in our hands because the result between Algeria and Sudan gives a chance for us. We will correct some mistakes, and inshaallah we will make a good job in the next two games.”
Bahrain play their final Group D match against Sudan on Tuesday next week at Education City Stadium, slated for an 8pm kick-off.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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