Sousa set for departure

TDT | Manama                                                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com     

Helio Sousa will not be returning as head coach of Bahrain’s senior men’s national football team, it was confirmed yesterday. An official within the team revealed that the Bahrain Football Association (BFA) will not be renewing the Portuguese tactician’s contract, which expires at the end of June.

The BFA held an appreciation banquet for Sousa and his technical and administrative staff yesterday, attended by BFA president Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.

Shaikh Ali praised the efforts of Sousa and his staff during their time with Bahrain and pointed out that they had worked well with concerned parties in achieving their desired goals.

Also on hand at the event were BFA vice-president His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Isa Al Khalifa, BFA secretary general Rashid Al Zoubu, BFA board members and other officials. Sousa’s replacement and a new national team staff have still to be named by the BFA.

Bahrain will thus have a new coach when they compete in the next edition of the AFC Asian Cup, to be held in Doha in January of next year.

Bahrain are one of 24 teams who have qualified for the continent’s premier tournament. Sousa is one of the most successful head coaches in the history of Bahrain football.

The highlight of his four-year stint with the national team was their victory in the 24th Gulf Cup in 2019—the first time they ever claimed the coveted trophy, ending a wait of nearly 50 years.

That triumph came only five months after Sousa took charge of the Kingdom’s top football squad, and it was already his second title in that period, having also helped guide Bahrain to the crown in that year’s West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Championship. Sousa was however unable to steer Bahrain to an historic berth in the FIFA World Cup, although helped the nationals successfully qualify for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup.

Sousa’s last match at the helm of the national team was in March of this year, when Bahrain edged past Syria 1-0 in an international friendly played at home.