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Bahrain finally broke a jinx with Muharraq winning the AFC Cup to bring home some continental silverware for the first time in its soccer history. That it came along with a bronze medal for the Royal Team in the World Endurance Horseride Championship in Malaysia added to the joy.
It was a weekend to savour, no doubt, and was rightly celebrated on the streets of the kingdom. As expected the red carpet was laid out for the victorious teams and the celebrations began right on the tarmac of the Bahrain International Airport and spilled on to every nook and corner of the island.
Let us concentrate on soccer since I'm neither an expert on horse-riding nor have the endurance to write about it.
Muharraq's victory over Al Safa of Lebanon in the two-leg final was as painstaking as it was praiseworthy. A huge 5-1 advantage at home had raised hopes of a comprehensive victory in the second-leg in Beirut.
But it was not to be as Al Safa fought right till the end before Bahrain could scrape through 5-4 to seal the cup with a 10-5 aggregate.
It was, though, a timely victory with Bahrain set to take on Australia at home in a crucial World Cup qualifying match on Wednesday. It is for this reason that I reserve some compunction about excessive celebrations if it is not followed by a reality check.
To me a victory of this sort was long overdue. Bahrain's rise on the Fifa rankings list has been steady since the turn of the new millennium but it has not been accompanied by any great achievement at the continental level.
The Bahrain League champions, whoever it was, hardly ventured out of the kingdom in search of greater glory. The AFC Champions League was a bridge too far and even the second tier AFC Cup, the equivalent of the Uefa Cup, seemed clearly beyond the reach of the best side on the island.
Now that Muharraq have broken that jinx does not mean that some sort of objective stock-taking should be eschewed. It, in fact, becomes pertinent given the challenges ahead of Bahrain as they resume their campaign to win a maiden berth in the World Cup to be held in South Africa in 2010.
At another level, Muharraq's victory will have a direct bearing on the performance of the Bahrain national team because of the composition of the team - the former forms the nucleus of the latter.
Goalkeeper Sayed Mohammed Jaffer, defender Faouzi Aaish, midfielders Abdulla Omar, Mohammed Salmeen and Mahmood Abdulrahman are key players for both Muharraq and Bahrain. All five performed consistently in the AFC Cup and that should augur well as Bahrain resumes their World Cup campaign with renewed confidence.
But, so far, Bahrain has only managed to shine sporadically. They fought bravely but went down 2-3 to Japan at home and then salvaged some pride holding Qatar 1-1 in Doha in the second match despite being reduced to 10 men midway through the first half.
Bahrain are presently in fourth position with one point and only above Uzbekistan who are also on one point but from three matches. Australia top the group with six points and are followed by Japan and Qatar on four each, but the former are ahead by virtue of having played one match less.
So the task ahead of Bahrain is uphill if not impossible. A victory over Australia at home can turn things around or even a draw can keep their hopes alive. To achieve that, Bahrain will certainly have to raise their game to a new high.
Defensive mistakes against Japan cost dearly while a new look team against Qatar energised Bahrain's campaign and ensured a point. The changes coach Milan Macala made worked wonders though it did not lead to a victory.
At the heart of this new-look and renewed effort are the new faces in the team, notably that of Jaycee John who started the match in place of the talismanic striker Ala'a Hubail. Two more 'imports' - Abdulla Fatai and Abdulla Omar - provided extra edge to the midfield and with it more freedom for striker Salman Isa at the top of the attack.
That good work has to be continued if Bahrain hopes to stay on road in this long and laborious journey towards a berth in the 2010 World Cup. Bahrain will also have to stay focused. And to do that, Bahrain will have to cut short the celebrations following the AFC Cup success.
