Bahrain's Days Of World Cup Destiny
11/6/2005 6:31:00 AM
Only Trinidad and Tobago stand between Bahrain and a first ever appearance at the World Cup, three hours of football that will send one of the small nations into raptures and to Germany.
Not much is known about Bahrain outside the Middle-East but victory over their Caribbean opponents over the two legs on November 12 and 16 will thrust the country into the global spotlight for the first time.
Few of the 600,000 people who live in the Persian Gulf would disagree with the assertion that the team hasn’t made much of an impact in the world of football but that has started to change in the 21st Century.
Easily Bahrain’s best year to date since the national association was formed in 1951, was 2004 when the team reached the semi-finals of the Asian Cup before losing out to Japan in extra time by the odd strike in a seven-goal thriller. That competition and the team’s performance in the first stage of World Cup qualification earned them the title as FIFA’s most improved team in 2004.
The final stage of qualification for Germany didn’t go quite so well, though finishing in the top two in a group containing Asian giants Japan and Iran was always going to be tough. However, Group B started pretty well with a goalless draw with the Persians in the opening game followed by a 2-1 win in Pyongyang.
In the meantime, the hands at the helm of the national team had changed as Croatian Srecko Juricic suddenly resigned and signed a lucrative contract with neighbours Oman. Wolfgang Sidka stepped into the vacant position for the second time and, with four points on the board, was confident about taking the team to his homeland.
However, the next four games brought four defeats, a record that cost Sidka his job. Fortunately for fans in Bahrain, North Korea’s record was even worse and took the bottom spot in the group, leaving third place for new coach Luka Peruzovic.
Despite a poor record of four points from six games, third place still provided a chance of qualification. Bahrain had to face their similarly ranked counterparts from Group A, Uzbekistan.
The first leg was a controversial one and a fortunate one for Bahrain. The Central Asians won the game 1-0 and felt more than a little aggrieved as Anvar Soliev’s converted 39th minute penalty was ruled out by the referee and a free-kick awarded to the visitors.
In the ensuing furore FIFA declared the result invalid due to the official’s technical error and ordered the game be replayed. Inevitably for Uzbekistan, the rescheduled first leg was less fruitful, ending in a 1-1 draw. That away goal for Bahrain was to prove decisive as the return game in Manama ended goalless, a result that was sufficient to send the Middle-Easterners to their date with destiny.
More good news came in the form of a fit again A’laa Hubail. The joint top scorer of the Asian Cup in 2004, has missed most of 2006 due to injury but has recovered and will be the man that Trinidad and Tobago have to watch. The 23 year-old is quick and his compatriots have high hopes that he could be the first Bahraini to make an impact in the European leagues.
Hussain Ali is another danger in attack but it is the team’s all-action captain, Talal Yusuf who was the most impressive player during qualifying and if he plays well then Bahrain does too – he will need to be at his best against tricky Caribbean opposition.
That opposition contains a number of well known names such as Dwight Yorke, Stern John and Shaka Hislop but the chance is there for a number of Bahrain players to make an appearance on the biggest stage in the world and grab a bit of the spotlight for themselves.
John Duerden
FORZA BAHRAIN!
11/6/2005 6:31:00 AM
Only Trinidad and Tobago stand between Bahrain and a first ever appearance at the World Cup, three hours of football that will send one of the small nations into raptures and to Germany.
Not much is known about Bahrain outside the Middle-East but victory over their Caribbean opponents over the two legs on November 12 and 16 will thrust the country into the global spotlight for the first time.
Few of the 600,000 people who live in the Persian Gulf would disagree with the assertion that the team hasn’t made much of an impact in the world of football but that has started to change in the 21st Century.
Easily Bahrain’s best year to date since the national association was formed in 1951, was 2004 when the team reached the semi-finals of the Asian Cup before losing out to Japan in extra time by the odd strike in a seven-goal thriller. That competition and the team’s performance in the first stage of World Cup qualification earned them the title as FIFA’s most improved team in 2004.
The final stage of qualification for Germany didn’t go quite so well, though finishing in the top two in a group containing Asian giants Japan and Iran was always going to be tough. However, Group B started pretty well with a goalless draw with the Persians in the opening game followed by a 2-1 win in Pyongyang.
In the meantime, the hands at the helm of the national team had changed as Croatian Srecko Juricic suddenly resigned and signed a lucrative contract with neighbours Oman. Wolfgang Sidka stepped into the vacant position for the second time and, with four points on the board, was confident about taking the team to his homeland.
However, the next four games brought four defeats, a record that cost Sidka his job. Fortunately for fans in Bahrain, North Korea’s record was even worse and took the bottom spot in the group, leaving third place for new coach Luka Peruzovic.
Despite a poor record of four points from six games, third place still provided a chance of qualification. Bahrain had to face their similarly ranked counterparts from Group A, Uzbekistan.
The first leg was a controversial one and a fortunate one for Bahrain. The Central Asians won the game 1-0 and felt more than a little aggrieved as Anvar Soliev’s converted 39th minute penalty was ruled out by the referee and a free-kick awarded to the visitors.
In the ensuing furore FIFA declared the result invalid due to the official’s technical error and ordered the game be replayed. Inevitably for Uzbekistan, the rescheduled first leg was less fruitful, ending in a 1-1 draw. That away goal for Bahrain was to prove decisive as the return game in Manama ended goalless, a result that was sufficient to send the Middle-Easterners to their date with destiny.
More good news came in the form of a fit again A’laa Hubail. The joint top scorer of the Asian Cup in 2004, has missed most of 2006 due to injury but has recovered and will be the man that Trinidad and Tobago have to watch. The 23 year-old is quick and his compatriots have high hopes that he could be the first Bahraini to make an impact in the European leagues.
Hussain Ali is another danger in attack but it is the team’s all-action captain, Talal Yusuf who was the most impressive player during qualifying and if he plays well then Bahrain does too – he will need to be at his best against tricky Caribbean opposition.
That opposition contains a number of well known names such as Dwight Yorke, Stern John and Shaka Hislop but the chance is there for a number of Bahrain players to make an appearance on the biggest stage in the world and grab a bit of the spotlight for themselves.
John Duerden
FORZA BAHRAIN!
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