FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN were last night drawn in a tough Group B for the AFC Asian Cup 2027.
The kingdom’s senior men’s football national team will be taking on their counterparts from Uzbekistan, North Korea, and Jordan in the preliminary round of the continent’s showpiece event, which will be hosted by Saudi Arabia for the first time next January and February.
A glittering draw for the highly anticipated tournament was held by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) last night at the historical Salwa Palace in Riyadh, producing a thrilling 24-nation group stage.
In attendance and representing Bahrain at the gathering were Bahrain Football Association (BFA) vice-president Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Isa Al Khalifa, BFA board member Shaikh Ahmed bin Isa Al Khalifa, and national team head coach Dragan Talajic.
Hosts and three-time winners Saudi headline Group A, where they will face Kuwait, Oman, and Palestine. The home side will kick off the tournament with an enticing encounter against Palestine at the 72,000-capacity King Fahd Sports City Stadium.
In Group C are Iran, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, and China, while Group D features Australia, Tajikistan, Iraq, and Singapore.
South Korea lead Group E, which also features the UAE, Vietnam, and either Lebanon or Yemen, who will meet on June 4 to decide the final qualifier for the competition.
Four-time winners Japan are in Group F alongside defending champions Qatar, Thailand, and Indonesia.
The top two sides from each group and the four best third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16, which will be played between January 22 and 25. The quarter-finals are scheduled for January 28 and 29, with the semi-finals on February 1 and 2.
The final will be played on February 5 at King Fahd Sports City Stadium, where the champions of the AFC Asian Cup’s 19th edition will be crowned.
Bahrain will be participating in the AFC Asian Cup for the eighth time, including for the seventh straight edition.
They made it to the round of 16 in the last tournament held in 2023, while their best-ever finish was an incredible fourth-place overall in 2004, when the field was just 16 teams.
Prior to competing amongst Asia’s best, the Bahrainis will be looking to defend their coveted title later this year in the 27th Gulf Cup, also known as ‘Khaleeji 27’, scheduled for September and October in Jeddah.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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