FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN’S overseas training camp in Türkiye, which was scheduled to start next week, will likely be cancelled due to the unfortunate events currently taking place in the kingdom and the region.
This was revealed to the GDN yesterday by a senior men’s football national team official, who has knowledge of the situation.
The camp, which was to include two international friendly matches against Uganda and Kyrgyzstan, was scheduled from Sunday to March 31. The Bahrainis’ tune-up against Uganda was set for March 26, while their game with Kyrgyzstan was slated for March 30.
The official told the GDN that while the training gathering has yet to be officially cancelled by the Bahrain Football Association, due to safety concerns and regional travel restrictions, it will most likely be called off.
The camp, to be supervised by Bahrain head coach Dragan Talajic, was planned to be part of the Bahrainis’ preparations for their major upcoming competitions, among which are the 27th Gulf Cup – which they will be entering as defending champions – scheduled for later this year, and the AFC Asian Cup 2027, set for January.
This year’s Gulf Cup, organised by the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) and known as ‘Khaleeji 27’, is set to be held in September and October in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It will feature the participation of eight teams – the UAE, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Yemen, hosts Saudi, and Bahrain.
Matches are to take place at Alinma Stadium in King Abdullah Sport City and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium. The draw date for the tournament’s group stage has yet to be announced by the AGCFF.
Meanwhile, the Bahrainis are one of 24 senior men’s squads who will be competing in the upcoming edition of the Asian Cup, to be held by the AFC from January to February next year across three cities in Saudi.
Bahrain are one of 20 nations to already book their places in the continental competition, with another four to be determined next month. The draw for the Asian Cup’s preliminary round is currently scheduled for April 11 in Riyadh.
The other squads confirmed for the tournament are defending champions Qatar; former winners Australia, Iraq, Iran, Japan, South Korea, and Kuwait; and Uzbekistan, the UAE, Oman, Palestine, Jordan, China, Indonesia, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Singapore, and hosts Saudi, who are also ex-titlists.
Bahrain will be playing in the AFC event for the eighth time, including for the seventh straight edition. They made it to the round of 16 in the last tournament in 2023, while their best-ever finish was an incredible fourth place overall in 2004, when the field was just 16 teams.
Bahrain’s senior men’s football national team have yet to return to the pitch since competing in the Fifa Arab Cup 2025, which was held last December in Doha, Qatar.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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