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Bahrain's star defender Sayed Mohammed Adnan is tuning into the World Cup finals contemplating what might have been ...
Adnan, judged runner-up in the search for Asian Player of the Year for his superb performances in the qualifying matches, missed a crucial penalty against New Zealand in the final play-off encounter which resulted in the kingdom agonisingly missing out on a trip to South Africa.
Some furious fans turned on the player and even members of his family. And, although many friends and supporters rallied to his side, the hurt still lingers.
He said: "I watch the matches at home but I tend to keep to myself because this is a difficult time for me but I'm trying to move on.
"I am excited about the World Cup as I love the game and this is an amazing event. But at the same time it does still hurt. To think Bahrain should have been there but this is what happened. Win or lose, it was our fate and a case of bad luck. Who knows where Bahrain could have landed if they had made it."
As he settles down as an armchair fan, he predicts that the boys from Brazil will lift the trophy. He said: "I am a die-hard Brazil fan. I can only dream of what it would be like to play against them but I think that they will make it to the finals along with Argentina - a tough match with a final score of 3-1."
