Bahrain begin final training for qualifiers

Bahrain’s senior men’s national football team have kicked off the final preparations for their upcoming Fifa World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 joint-qualifier against Hong Kong on Thursday. Upon reaching Hong Kong, the Bahrainis went right to training under head coach Helio Sousa.

All but one of the 23 players named by Sousa for his squad are with the team. Only striker Abdulla Yusuf, who plays in Europe with Czech club Sparta Prague, has yet to report for national team duty, but is scheduled to do so today. Bahrain’s qualifier with Hong Kong is scheduled for a 3pm kick-off, Bahrain time.

After that game, they will travel to Amman to play another qualifier on November 19 against Iraq. Bahrain are in Group C of the qualifiers for the World Cup and Asian Cup. Iraq currently tops the group with seven points, leading Bahrain on goal difference, while Iran holds third spot with six points. Hong Kong and Cambodia each have one point.