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INSTEAD of a street party, Bahrain's national football squad returned to the kingdom to face an official probe into its failure to reach the World Cup Finals in South Africa.
The squad, management and members of the media touched down at Bahrain International Airport on Sunday evening after a long haul from New Zealand, via Sydney and a short stop-over in Kuala Lumpur.
The mood was subdued from the moment they stepped on the specially chartered Gulf Air Airbus 340 which took off from Wellington at 9am.
They were so close to securing a score draw and achieving the nation's dream of reaching the World Cup Finals for the first time.
After going down to a header from Rory Fallon, ironically a player who would not have been on the pitch if FIFA had resisted a rule change, Bahrain was awarded a penalty which was saved by the Kiwi keeper, Mark Paston.
In his first interview since the 1-0 defeat at the hands of the All Whites, coach Milan Macala looked worn out and miserable. "We should have taken a two-goal cushion with us to New Zealand - I said it straight after the 0-0 draw at home and so it proved.
"Perhaps the occasion, the pressure got to some of the players. This was our 20th World Cup game and perhaps it was one too many.
"You cannot describe the disappointment but we have to pick ourselves up for our match against Yemen and ensure that we qualify for the Asian Cup finals."
Tonight's game will be staged at the National Stadium in Riffa and Bahrain must finish among the top two in their group to secure an automatic berth into the finals of the 2011 tournament in Doha.
Both Bahrain and Yemen are in Group A alongside Japan and Hong Kong and Bahrain currently lies in second place with full points after victories over Hong Kong and Japan. The latter leads the group having played one game more.
Had Bahrain made it to the World Cup Finals in South Africa today's match would have taken place in a carnival atmosphere and Macala will be hoping the fans will show loyalty and still come out in great numbers to show their support despite the Wellington woe.
He will also have to use all his motivating skills to ensure Syed Mohammed Adnan recovers emotionally from the misery of missing the crucial penalty in the play-off encounter. Had he hammered it home and the score remained the same a 1-1 draw would have taken Bahrain through.
Adnan, who had played such a significant part in the World Cup adventure and whose performances had him shortlisted for the Asian player of the year accolade, was said to be 'inconsolable' after the defeat.
Rory Fallon believes his goal which gave New Zealand victory and a World Cup berth for the first time in 27 years will allow football in his country to 'emerge from rugby's dark cloud'.
Fallon headed Leo Bertos's corner past Bahrain goalkeeper Sayed Jaffar in the 44th minute for the only goal of the two-leg qualifying series.
In doing so he allowed New Zealand to emulate the achievement of its 1982 team, co-coached by Fallon's father Kevin, which reached the World Cup Finals in Spain.
The goal was Fallon's second in three internationals for New Zealand after he switched his allegiance from England, for whom he played at youth level. Fallon said part of his
motivation for switching was to help football in New Zealand challenge rugby's overwhelming popularity.
The crowd of 35,000 on Saturday was the largest ever for a football match in the country. The 27-year-old Fallon said: "It's been a dark cloud over New Zealand football for many years, that's why I tried to escape New Zealand because it was just too full of rugby."
New Zealand football has already been boosted by the estimated $10 million windfall which came with Saturday's victory, 40 per cent of which will be shared by players who took part in the qualifying campaign.
In Bahrain, the sport's federation is left counting the cost of defeat and a probe committee is to be set up to investigate the causes of the elimination.
Bahrain Olympics Committee president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa gave instructions for the panel to be formed to conduct an intensive investigation. In a statement issued by his office the panel aims to find what lessons can be learned and analyse why the side failed to deliver when it mattered most and displayed such an 'unsatisfactory' image of the quality of Bahrain's football.
A report will be submitted to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Youth and Sports Council President.
A decision will then be made on what future direction to take and to ensure Bahrain's own footballing dark cloud is lifted.
