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A FITTER and brighter Bahrain kick-started their West Asian Soccer Championship campaign in Kuwait on a high note with a 1-0 victory over Yemen and received praise from their new coach.
Much-travelled striker Jaycee John turned back the clock to score the winner with only three minutes remaining.
John is best remembered by fans for notching the crucial goal in the 2–2 draw against Saudi Arabia in a World Cup qualifier play-off match in 2009.
The 27-year-old is now plying his trade back at Muharraq in the VIVA 1st Division after starring for Qatari club Al Kharitiyat and sides playing in Holland, Turkey and Kuwait.
The Yemen victory was the first for Bahrain under new Argentinian coach Gabriel Calderon who told GulfWeekly: "The team played well against opponent’s constantly on the defence. The quality of the pitch did not help either with our team’s passing game.
"Our squad consisted of many young players and they all put a lot of effort into the game and showed immense promise for the future.
"Since I joined Bahrain’s national team I have been pleased with the improving performance of the players. They work hard and I can see that they are trying to implement my way of playing on the pitch."
Calderon added: "I will need some time to achieve my goals with this team but I have seen a lot of improvement in both their fitness and stamina.
"The West Asian Championship will give me a better chance to get to know them and see how they perform at international level rather than just in friendlies or camps.
"This championship couldn’t have come at a better time as it’s one of the many tools for us to use to prepare the team for the Gulf Cup next month. I want to win every game we play."
Today, Bahrain face Iran before a final Group B encounter against Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The kingdom’s two neighbours played out a goalless draw on Sunday. The top two teams in the group will move into the knock-out stage of the competition.
