FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN’S participation in the 52nd edition of the King’s Cup in Thailand this November was confirmed yesterday.
This follows the official announcement by the Football Association of Thailand of the four senior men’s national teams that will be taking part in the invitation-only tournament, which is scheduled for November 9 to 17.
The Bahrainis and host Thais will be joined by Oman and Tajikistan in the competition, which was first held in 1968.
Matches will be played in four different provinces, the Football Association of Thailand said, namely Sisaket, Khon Kaen, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, and Rayong.
The Bahrain Football Association (BFA) announced last week that they had received an official invitation from their Thai counterparts to compete in the tournament.
The BFA, however, was unable to give an immediate confirmation of taking part as the event would have clashed with the 2026 edition of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Championship, which was pencilled in for November in Muscat, Oman, and in which Bahrain are the defending champions.
A national team official told the GDN yesterday that, with Oman’s confirmation in the King’s Cup in Thailand, the WAFF event would therefore no longer be held at the proposed time.
All four countries participating in Thailand are also set to take to the pitch in the AFC Asian Cup 2027, slated for January and February next year in Saudi Arabia. It will therefore be an opportunity for each squad to utilise those games as part of their preparations for football’s continental showcase.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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