Asian Cup 2011 Teams: Bahrain
Road to Qatar
Bahrain finished second to Japan in qualification Group A for the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar.
The side won four and lost two of its six qualification matches, scoring an impressive 12 goals in the process.
A 1-0 win over Japan in January 2009 is proof Bahrain can pull off results against bigger football nations, although it should be added that they went down 3-0 to Yemen in the same qualification process.
Fixtures
Group C
Bahrain v South Korea; 10 January 2011, Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha
Bahrain v India; 14 January 2011, Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha
Bahrain v Australia; 18 January 2011, Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha
Analysis
Bahrain's strong record in qualification for the 2011 Asian Cup will provide some hope to a nation pitted in the arguably the tournament's strongest group.
A lack of defensive cohesion is likely to be the side's downfall as at the other end of the field, they do pose a decent goal threat. Ismaeel Abdullatif was the second highest goal scorer in Asian Cup qualification with five goals. Adbulla Baba Fatadi is also capable of weighing in with goals from midfield.
Bahrain only narrowly missed out in a place at the World Cup in 2006 (losing in a play-off to Trinidad and Tobago) and again in 2010, beaten 3-2 on aggregate by New Zealand in the AFC Play-Off. The same spirit they showed home and away against the 'All Whites' will be required in Qatar, where they are faced with an uphill challenge.
Key player: Mohamed Salmeen
Bahrain captain Mohamed Salmeen comes from a footballing dynasty. Father Ahmed represented the Muharraq Club throughout the 1970's and 80's and brother Yousuf also plays for Muharraq currently, where he won a league title in 2010.
Salmeen is one of the most experienced players in Bahrain team, with over 100 appearances in the national team to date. He was famously described by former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke as being "good enough to play in the (English) Premier League."
Despite European teams being interested in Salmeen's services in the past, he had remained true to his Arab roots playing his club football in Bahrain and Qatar.
One to watch: Abdullah Omar
Chad-born Omar is one of just a handful of players in the Bahrain squad currently playing in Europe.
Omar and Bahrain team-mate Abdullah Baba Fatadi both play for Neuchatel Xamax in Switzerland's top division and have impressed since signing for the club in 2009.
Of the pair, Omar is arguably the most technically gifted and with over 30 caps for Bahrain already, the 23-year-old has good experience at international level.
Coach: Salman Sharida
Sharida has experienced success coaching in Arab club football, most notably winning the AFC Cup title for Bahraini outfit Al Muharraq in 2008.
The former Bahraini international player coached Pakistan from 2006 to 2008, during which time the nation failed in attempts to qualify for the Asian Cup and Beijing Olympic Games.
Record
1956-1968; Did not enter, 1972; Did not qualify, 1976; Withdrew, 1980; Withdrew after qualifying, 1984; Did not enter, 1988; Round 1, 1992; Did not qualify, 1996; Withdrew, 2000; Did not qualify, 2004; Fourth Place, 2007; Round 1.
Soccerphile says
Bahrain are the minnows in Group C, dubbed the Asian Cup's 'Group of Death', with much-fancied Australia, South Korea and India. It is hard to see Al-Ahmar (The Reds) being anything other than also-rans along with India in the group, though they will be at home in the conditions.
The Squad
Goalkeepers: Mahmood Abdulla (Al Riffa), Ahmed Mushaima (Unattached), Abbas Ahmed Khamis (Al-Ahli)
Defenders: Rashed Al Hooti (East Riffa),Abdulla Al Marzooqi (Al-Sailiya), Saleh Abdulhameed (Al-Najma), Abbas Ayyad (Al-Ahli), Dawood Saad (Riffa), Husain Ali Hasan (Unattached), Ebrahim Al Mishkhas (Al-Muhrraq)
Midfielders: Abdulla Baba Fatadi (Al-Ittihad Kalba), Hamad Rakea Al Anezi (Riffa), Abdulwahab Al Malood (Al-Muharraq), Mohamed Salmeen (Al Dhafra), Faouzi Mubarak Aaish (Al-Sailiya), Salman Isa (Al-Arabi), Abdullah Omar (Neuchatel Xamax), Abdulwahab Al Safi (Al-Ahli), Mahmood Al Ajmi (Unattached)
Forwards: Jaycee Okwunwanne (Eskisehirspor), Ismaeel Abdullatif (Riffa), Abdulla Al-Dakeel (Al-Muharraq)
The winner of the Asian Cup takes part in the Confederations Cup.
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