‘We must be more effective’: Sousa

TDT | Manama     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Head coach Helio Sousa rued Bahrain’s missed chances in their victory over Bangladesh on Wednesday in their opening match of AFC Asian Cup 2023 qualifying. The nationals won the Group E contest 2-0 but should have secured the result with a bigger winning margin.

They had a number of clear-cut chances to score, particularly in the second half, but could not capitalise on those opportunities. Following the game, Sousa said that the players must be better in making the most of those moments. He commented in his post-match Press conference: “In the first half, we didn’t get the clear chances that we got in the second half. In those clear chances, we must be more effective.

“We weren’t efficient and competent enough in the situations that we created to put the ball inside [the goal]. “It is a pity we don’t have at least one or two more goals for what we did today.” Sousa noted that the Bahrainis could have had multiple more goals, but also credited Bangladesh goalkeeper Anisur Rahman for his impressive performance in the game.

“For what we did, we at least deserve one more goal—we must have scored one more goal, and with each goal, maybe we can score more,” Sousa said. “It will be more difficult for the opponent and maybe we will have more chances to score again.

“But the goalkeeper of Bangladesh made a fantastic game too. All the team tried the best they can for the situation for us to score.” Sousa was nonetheless satisfied with the result but admitted that things are only going to get tougher in their final two qualifiers against Malaysia tomorrow and then Turkmenistan on Tuesday next week.

Pitch condition

The Portuguese tactician particularly singled out the issue of the pitch condition at Kuala Lumpur’s Bukit Jalil National Stadium. He is worried about its quality as it hosts all six matches within just seven days in this Group E of qualification.

“Overall, it was a good game, and in a very different situation and conditions that we are used to in Bahrain,” Sousa explained. “The places we are used to playing most of the time, and the quality of the grass, I think will get worse with six games to play on it in the competition.

“But we must pass by all that adversity. We are growing with them and we got what we can from this first game.” The Bahrainis play Malaysia at 4pm, Bahrain time, tomorrow. Sousa has a 24-player squad at the qualifiers, including goalkeepers Sayed Mohammed Jaafar, Sayed Shubbar Alawi and Ammar Mohammed; defenders Rashed Alhooti, Ahmed Abdulla, Waleed Al Hayyam, Ameen Denade, Ahmed Bughammar, Hamad Shamsan, Abbas Ayyad and Sayed Redha Isa; midfielders Ali Haram, Jassim Al Shaikh, Mahdi Abdullatif, Ammar Jaffar, Komail Alaswad, Abdulwahab Almalood, Ali Madan, Mohammed Jassim Marhoon, Ebrahim Al Khattal, Mahdi Humaidan and Saeed; and strikers Hashim Sayed Isa and Abdulla Yusuf.

There are 24 teams in all in this final round of qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup 2023. They have been divided into six groups, each of which is being played at a centralised venue. All six group winners plus the five best runners-up will earn berths in the Asian Cup.