Bahrain preps continue to host World Cup qualifiers

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

All preparations are continuing ahead of Bahrain’s hosting of the Group C joint-qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 in June. Site inspections were conducted yesterday to the venues that will host matches, said a Bahrain Football Association (BFA) official. The hotels that will accommodate the visiting national teams have also already been approved and things continue to progress to welcome the participating national teams, the official added.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) last month named Bahrain as the centralised venue for qualification Group C, which also includes Iraq, Iran, Cambodia and Hong Kong. Bahrain is set to go against Cambodia on June 3, Iran on June 7 and then Hong Kong on June 15. Iran’s football federation had earlier this week appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the AFC’s decision to stage the qualifiers in Bahrain.

Bahrain is currently second in their division with nine points, having won two matches and drawn thrice.

Iraq is the leaders with 11 points after winning three games and drawing two other times.

Iran is third with six points but have played just three matches so far and have two wins and two losses. Hong Kong and Cambodia completed the Group C table with five points and one point, respectively. There are eight groups in all in this round of qualifiers, with five nations in each group.

The other centralised venues selected by the AFC are China for Group A, Kuwait for Group B, Saudi Arabia for Group D, Qatar for Group E, Japan for Group F, the UAE for Group G and South Korea for Group H. At the end of this stage of qualification, 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