Bahrain set up India, Belarus friendlies

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s senior men’s national football team will play an international friendly match against India next month, the Bahrain Football Association announced yesterday. The game will be held at the National Stadium in Riffa on March 23.

It will be one of two exhibition games for the Bahrainis during their next training gathering, the dates of which have yet to be released. The nationals will also then play Belarus on March 29. The Bahrainis had just completed on Tuesday their last local assembly during which they played two tune-up games, both of which they won against top African opposition.

They first enjoyed a 3-1 triumph over Uganda and then defeated DR Congo 1-0. The friendlies are part of their preparations for their upcoming competitions, including the third round of qualifiers for the AFC Asian Cup 2023.

More details on the upcoming matches, including access to spectators, will be announced soon. The nationals have yet to learn of their grouping for their upcoming Asian Cup qualifiers. The draw is set to be held on February 24.

Matches will be played over three days on June 8, 11 and 14. It was announced by the AFC that each group will hold their games in a centralised venue, and a bidding process will be held for the hosts. Bahrain are one of 24 national teams competing in this third round of qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup 2023.

These teams are to be divided into six groups of four to play a single round-robin. The group winners and the best five runners-up across all groups will qualify for the Asian Cup, where they are joined by China and by the 12 teams which qualified directly from the second round.

Bahrain have appeared in the Asian Cup, the continent’s premier football competition, six times in the past, including the last five editions. Their best finish was fourth in 2004.