Bahrain to face Tajikistan, Lebanon in Dubai friendlies

TDT | Manama

Bahrain’s national football team will be playing two international friendly matches during their overseas training camp in Dubai next month, the Bahrain Football Association (BFA) has confirmed.

The Bahrainis will first be taking on Tajikistan on November 7 before facing their Lebanese counterparts on November 12.

The nationals are scheduled to hold their camp from November 1 to 17, a BFA official told TDT.

Bahrain head coach Helio Sousa is expected to name his squad for the camp within the next few days.

Bahrain is currently looking to secure berths in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

The joint-qualifiers have been delayed due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and matches are only expected to resume next year.

Bahrain are in Group C of qualifying, where they currently sit in second place behind leaders Iraq, while being ahead of Iran, Hong Kong and Cambodia following five games already played. 
The Bahrainis still have three more fixtures remaining — first at home against Cambodia, then away at Iran, before closing out this stage of qualification against Hong Kong at home.

In this stage of the qualifiers, there are eight groups in all, with five nations in each group. At the end, the eight group winners and the four best runners-up advance to the third round of World Cup qualifying, and also secure their berths in the Asian Cup.

The next best 24 teams will compete in a separate competition for the remaining 12 slots in the Asian Cup.