FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN’S senior men’s football national team will play an international friendly match against their counterparts from Syria next month.
This was announced last night by the Bahrain Football Association (BFA).
The tune-up is scheduled for June 9 at Gloria Sports Arena in Antalya, Türkiye. It is slated for a 5pm kick-off, Bahrain time.
The game will be a part of the Bahrainis’ expected overseas camp in Europe. It will be their second friendly in a week, as they are also scheduled to face off with Georgia’s senior men’s squad on June 5.
The nationals will be playing both contests as part of their preparations for their future tournaments, including 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 early next year.
The Bahrainis’ camp will be held under the supervision of head coach Dragan Talajic. Details of their foreign excursion have yet to be announced by the BFA.
The 27th Gulf Cup is slated for September 23 to October 6 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with the participation of eight teams, including Qatar, Iraq, the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Yemen, hosts Saudi, and Bahrain, who won the previous edition held from December of 2024 to January of 2025. It was the Bahrainis’ second Gulf Cup crown in the history of the tournament, adding to their historic maiden title in 2019.
Meanwhile, next year’s AFC Asian Cup is scheduled from January 7 to February 5. Bahrain are one of 23 nations who have already booked their places in the event, to be hosted by three cities in Saudi.
The draw ceremony for the AFC Asian Cup’s preliminary round will be taking place on Saturday in Riyadh. Bahrain are in pot three for the draw, along with Thailand, China, Palestine, Vietnam, and Tajikistan.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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