Bahrain coach confident ahead of Cambodia rematch

Bahrain coach confident ahead of Cambodia rematch

The head coach of the Bahrain national football team has expressed confidence of their chances ahead of return matches versus Iran, Iraq, Hong Kong and Cambodia in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

In an interview with Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, Helio Sousa indicated that his team is well-prepared and has the personnel to tackle the tough challenges ahead.

“There are nine points up for grabs and we’ll do whatever it takes to try and get all nine. Everyone in the squad has assumed their share of responsibility, and they work hard for the national team,” he said.

Bahrain is currently ranked second in Group C with two wins and three draws after five matches. Iraq is leading the group with three wins and two draws. Iran, Hong Kong and Cambodia occupy (in order) the third, fourth and fifth spots in the group.

“We’re experiencing something unique right now but we must think about the next stage. It’s a great time for me and my team. The players were great despite all the circumstances we went through because they are semi-professional,” he added.

In a previous interview with FIFA.com, Sousa also expressed his belief in his team’s chances going forward, saying that he has “a good group of players who have proven they can get good results”.

Bahrain was originally scheduled to host Cambodia on March 26 at the Khalifa Sports City Stadium in Isa Town. But the Cambodia versus Bahrain return match was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping through Cambodia and other parts of the world.

While there is still no official announcement from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) or Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), it is most likely that the return match will fall between October and November, the same window where the Cambodia versus Iran return match falls.

If you look at team history, Bahrain is obviously the favourite to repeat a win against Cambodia, or even advance past the second round of the qualifiers.

While Bahrain has yet to advance to the World Cup proper, it came within a win of advancing to the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. Cambodia, for its part, has never got that close to qualifying in the world’s most-awaited and prestigious soccer tournament.

On paper, the current Bahrain team is also much stronger than that of Cambodia. Bahrain boasts of such outstanding players as forward Ismail Abdullatif, midfielder Kamil Al Aswad and forward Mohamed Al Romaihi.

The 33-year old Abdullatif is a legend in Bahrain and international football, having scored 40 goals and leading his country to the World Cup playoffs twice. Al Sawad and Al Romaihi have also demonstrated that they can go against the best in the Middle East, a region where many of the top football players in the world play.

But despite Bahrain’s obvious manpower advantage, it barely beat Cambodia during their first match in September last year. The Middle Eastern country needed a 77th minute goal from Al Aswad to eke a 1-0 win against the home team at Phnom Penh’s Olympic Stadium.

Sousa took over the reins of the Bahrain national football team in August last year. Under the guidance of the 55-year old Portuguese coach, Bahrain has won two important football tournaments, the Western Asian Football Federation Championship and Arabian Gulf Cup.

Credited: Khmer Times