FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN named yesterday a 23-player youth men’s football national team that will be competing in the second edition of the U-17 Gulf Cup, which kicks off tomorrow in Doha, Qatar.
The Gulf Football Federation (GFF) tournament features a record 10 youth men’s squads playing 23 matches until November 4.
The Bahrainis are in Group A for the preliminary round alongside the UAE, Oman, China, and hosts Qatar, while defending champions Saudi Arabia are in Group B along with Iraq, Kuwait, Yemen, and Egypt.
Bahrain’s roster, announced by the Bahrain Football Association, includes Komail Al Sitrawi, Karrar Huwaida, Mohammed Attia, Ahmed Hai, Ali Almuallim, Mohammed Salah, Ayad Mustafa, Haitham Shafi, Issa Almaliki, Mohammed Almulhem, Bader Abdulaziz, Hamad Alhajri, Jassim Ben Jamea, Hussain Zainaldeen, Ebrahim Talafat, Mohammed Alhassouni, Abbas Mohammed, Imran Adel, Mohammad Aljazzaf, and Hussain Zuhair, along with goalkeepers Adnan Bu Ali, Hussain Al Majed, and Mohammed Khaled.
The nationals are to be guided in the competition by Bahraini tactician Khalid Hassan, who less than a fortnight ago took over the duties from sacked Croatian head coach Ugo Klingor.
Bahrain are in action tomorrow as part of the opening evening’s programme in this year’s U-17 Gulf Cup. They face off with their Emirati counterparts at 8pm, Bahrain time, at Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium.
The group stage will continue until October 29, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals on November 1. The tournament will conclude with the final on November 4.
Following tomorrow’s opener, the Bahrainis next face the home side Qataris on Monday next week at 5.45pm. They then take on their Chinese counterparts on Thursday next week at 8pm, before completing the preliminaries against Oman on October 28 at 5.45pm. All times are Bahrain.
Under the competition regulations, if either semi-final or the final is level at the end of regulation, the winner will be decided directly by a penalty shootout.
Aside from the U-17 Gulf Cup, Bahrain’s youth men’s squad are also gearing up for the qualifiers of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2027, to be held next month.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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