Basra Breakthrough

TDT | Manama

Email : hussainm@newsofbahrain.com

Abdulla Al Subaie stuns Iraq with stoppage-time equaliser in Olympic team’s draw

Bahrain’s under-23 Olympic football team drew 1-1 against Iraq last night in Basra, with Abdulla Al Subaie rifling in a stunning injury-time equaliser to cap a resilient performance in their second friendly match on Iraqi soil.

Late Heroics

Al Subaie was mobbed by defenders in the box in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, but wriggled free just enough to slot a low, precise finish past the Iraqi goalkeeper. His goal salvaged a deserved result after the visitors had spent much of the second half chasing the game.

Iraq Strike First

The hosts went ahead in the 41st minute through Karar Ali Hasan, who rose highest to nod in a thumping header from a well-placed set-piece delivery. That lead looked likely to stand until Al Subaie’s moment of magic.

Payback in Basra

This was the second of two friendlies between the sides, part of Bahrain’s ongoing overseas camp. In their first meeting, Bahrain suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat and it was also via a late goal, making last night’s turnaround all the more important.

Eyes on Doha

The friendly fixtures are vital tune-ups for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, where Bahrain will compete in Group H alongside Qatar, India, and Brunei Darussalam. All games will be played in Doha next month. The 2026 edition will be Saudi Arabia’s debut as hosts.

Path to the Finals

There are 44 teams in the qualifiers, split into 11 centralised groups. The group winners and the four best-ranked runners-up will join the Saudis at next year’s finals. Bahrain have qualified only once before — in 2020, when the tournament was staged in Bangkok.

Busy Summer Continues

Basra is Bahrain’s second overseas camp this summer. Last month, they competed in a four-nation tournament in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, building match fitness and cohesion under head coach Ali Abdulmajeed.

24-Player Squad

Bahrain’s Olympic team roster in Iraq includes:

Al Subaie, captain Mubarak Mohammed, Issa Abdulla, Ahmed Dhiya, Abdulla Al Qassab, Mohammed Al Shihani, Salman Younes, Bader Al Asam, Abdulla Al Obaidli, Sayed Ahmed Al Wadaie, Mahmood Al Bannai, Abdulrahman Aboud, Rashed Mujiran, Abdulrahman Al Khayyat, Salem Al Dosari, Ali Sahwan, Saad Al Attar, Saud Mohsen, Ali Tarada, Hassan Samir, Khaled Khalaf, and goalkeepers Ashraf Mubarak, Mohammed Khalifa, and Abdulla Freah.