Bahrain's Hopes Crushed in 5-0 Blowout Against Japan
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com
Email: hussainm@newsofbahrain.com
A Clash Under the Lights at Bahrain National Stadium
Bahrain's journey in the AFC 3rd Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification continued yesterday with a highly anticipated test against Japan. The match took place at 7 PM at the Bahrain National Stadium, with Bahrain wearing their iconic red kits while Japan sported blue. Both teams aimed to build on their early success in Group C, but it was Japan who walked away with a 5-0 win, reminding everyone of their pedigree on the international stage.
Dreams Dashed After Stunning Win Over Australia
Bahrain entered the match with high hopes following their stunning win over Australia in the previous game, where a last-minute winner sparked excitement among local fans. This gave rise to dreams of potentially qualifying for their first-ever World Cup. Meanwhile, Japan, no strangers to the global football stage, had recently battered China 7-0 and came into the Bahrain clash with momentum on their side.
Japan's Ruthless Display
The opening goal came in the 37th minute when Japan’s Ayase Ueda converted a penalty to give the visitors the lead. Things quickly unraveled for Bahrain after that, with Hidemasa Morita doubling Japan's advantage just minutes into the second half. Morita added his second of the night in the 64th minute, putting the game out of reach for Bahrain. Koki Ogawa sealed the 3 points with a late goal in the 81st minute, securing Japan's ruthless 5-0 win.
Japan's Dominance in Numbers
Despite a determined effort, Bahrain struggled to find opportunities against Japan’s organized defense, managing only one shot on goal throughout the match. In contrast, Japan dominated possession with 76% and registered 14 shots on goal. Bahrain’s defense, though resilient at times, couldn't contain the relentless Japanese attack.
Line-ups:
Bahrain (4-4-2): Ebrahim Lutfalla, Amine Benaddi, Sayed Mahdi Baqer, Abdulla Al Khalasi, Vincent Ani Emmanuel, Mohamed Marhoon, Abbas Al-Asfoor, Ali Abdula Haram, Ali Jaafar Madan, Komail Al-Aswad, Mahdi Abduljabbar
Japan (3-4-3): Zion Suzuki, Shogo Taniguchi, Koki Machida, Kou Itakura, Kaoru Mitoma, Hidemasa Morita, Wataru Endo, Ritsu Doan, Daichi Kamada, Ayase Ueda, Takumi Minamino
Other Matches in Group C:
Elsewhere in Group C, Saudi Arabia scraped through China 1-2 in a dramatic game. China initially took the lead after an own goal from Ali Lajami. However, despite being reduced to 10 men following Mohamed Kanno's red card, Saudi Arabia bounced back to equalize in the 39th minute through Hasan Kadesh. Kadesh struck again in the 90th minute to seal the win for the Saudis.
In the third match of the group, Indonesia and Australia played to a goalless 0-0 draw, leaving both teams with one point each.
Bahrain’s next test will be against Indonesia on October 10, where they will hope to bounce back and reignite their World Cup qualification campaign.
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