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BAHRAIN hopes to spring a surprise in Australia and advance into the Asian Cup knock-out phase of the competition despite facing a tough group.
Now under their third coach in five months ‘The Red’ or ‘Ya al Ahmar’ appear to have settled well under former deputy Marjan Eid who was catapulted into the position after 2004 AFC Coach of the Year Adnan Hamad’s appointment on a two-year term was cut short in November after Bahrain’s dismal start to the 2014 Gulf Cup of Nations campaign.
The football crazy country has faced a traumatic time in recent months starting with Englishman Anthony Hudson’s shock exit to take over as the New Zealand head coach after his Bahrain side dominated their qualifying group to secure a fourth consecutive AFC Asian Cup Finals appearance with two games to spare.
Eid has remained cool amid the chaos and appears to be revelling in his new role and watched in delight as Bahrain notched a comfortable 1-0 victory over Jordan in a final friendly fixture before the real action starts on Friday against one of the competition’s top contenders, Iran.
“The team has the potential to do well,” said Eid, who was a caretaker coach in 2010, when he replaced Austrian Josef Hickersberger. “We are fit and well. We have worked very hard in the last couple of months and are confident it will pay off.”
Eid said he was very happy with the team as it has the right mix of youth and experience. Seven players apiece from reigning Bahraini Premier League champions Al Riffa and Muharraq are featured in the side.
Eid has included leading professionals Fawzi Ayesh, Abdulla Omar and Jaycee John Okwunwanne in the squad, a trio not selected by the previous coach for the 22nd Gulf Cup held in Riyadh in October.
Ayesh scored the all-important goal from a free kick in the 84th minute as Bahrain won their second friendly clash following a convincing 4-1 victory over Saudi Arabia earlier in the week.
Snatching a point from Iran, the Asian heavyweights in their Group C opener in Melbourne, would be a good start for the 122nd ranked Bahrain, who subsequently lock horns with Gulf Cup of Nations champions Qatar and dark horse the United Arab Emirates.
“The Iran national team is the strongest team in the group,” Bahrain Football Association president Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said.
“We’ll try to get at least a point out of this game, normally, the first games in all the tournaments are important.”
After the clash with Iran (starting 10am Bahrain time) they take on UAE on January 15 (10am) and Qatar on January 19 (noon). A record 800 million football fans from more than 120 countries are expected to watch AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015, which kicks off in Melbourne on Friday, and matches will be broadcast locally on BeIn Sport.
According to soccer pundits, Bahrain impressed by rampaging through their qualifying group unbeaten, never giving an inch to Yemen, Malaysia and a rapidly-improving Qatar side. They conceded only one goal in six matches, indicating their defence is up there with the best on the continent. “Four wins and two draws made for an impressive qualification,” said one leading sports website.
Another suggested that Bahrain’s key man will be Ismaeel Abdulatif Hasan providing the side’s attacking thrust. He scored four goals against India in 2011.
“Lobbed in with Asian heavyweights Iran, the in-form Gulf Cup champion Qatar and everyone’s dark horse, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain would appear to be up against it. They have a fighting chance if they can hold Iran in Canberra in their opening match and then overcome one of their local rivals. But it is a tough mission. Group stage exit,” predicted The Age newspaper based in the Australian state of Victoria.
Eid, who comes into the Asian Cup as arguably the tournament’s least recognised manager, and his players, plan to prove these doubters wrong.
The Asian Cup is the pre-eminent soccer tournament in the vast region, though it had inauspicious beginnings in 1956 when four teams played a round-robin tournament in Hong Kong, two years after the Asian Football Association was formed.
The 16 nations to qualify for AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 alongside Bahrain and its group rivals are Australia as hosts, defending champions Japan, South Korea and 2012 AFC Challenge Cup winners North Korea, plus China, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Palestine will make their debut at the 2015 event, becoming the 33rd team to make the finals.
The tournament has been dominated by the traditional powerhouses of regional soccer with Japan having won the most titles, their fourth coming in a 1-0 victory over Australia in 2011.
Iran won three successive titles from 1968-1976, their only victories in the competition and are still the only side to win three successive tournaments. They finished third in 1980. Saudi Arabia won successive titles in 1984 and 1988 but were beaten 1-0 by hosts Japan in the 1992 final. The Saudis then won the 1996 title on penalties against hosts UAE.
Before the tournament kicked off the Victoria State and Balart City Mayor John Phillips hosted a reception for the Bahrain team delegation headed by Shaikh Ali. If the team returns home with the trophy it is guaranteed the party will be much bigger in the kingdom.
