Egypt Comeback Seals Bahrain's U20 Gulf Cup Exit

Youngsters Denied Despite Abdulla Ahmed’s Goalkeeping Heroics

Bahrain’s U20 team saw their Gulf Cup journey come to an end today following a 2-1 loss to Egypt in Abha, Saudi Arabia. After a promising 4-2 win over Oman in their second match, hopes were high that Ali Amer’s side could progress to the semi-finals of the AGCFF Gulf Cup U20 2025. Instead, it is Oman and Iraq who advance from Group B to the last four, with the semi-finals set for Sunday, September 7.

Bahrain started brightly, controlling possession and testing Egypt’s defense. Goalkeeper Abdulla Ahmed, continuing his fine form in the tournament, saved a penalty to prevent the Egyptians from taking the lead. He also produced a series of acrobatic stops, including a spectacular long-range save and a sharp half-volley parry, keeping Bahrain in the game.

Bahrain took the lead in the 71st minute as Mubarak Fawaz launched a brilliant counter-attack from midfield and Bahrain’s youngest player Khalid AlHasooni tapped in off the post.

Egypt responded with two quick goals in the final ten minutes. The first, scored by Abdin Ahmed in the 80th minute, came from a looping header delivered from a dead-ball free-kick. The second, by Kabaka, stemmed from a Bahrain cross into the Egyptian box that was cleared, leaving Egypt with a three-on-one break against Abdulla Ahmed. The ball was squared and tapped into the net, overturning the deficit and eliminating Bahrain from the tournament.

Earlier in the tournament, Bahrain had opened with a 1-0 defeat to Iraq but bounced back impressively in their second game. Ali Mehran starred in the 4-2 win over Oman, scoring twice, while Ahmed Al Mursi and Yahya Adel also found the net.

The Bahrain squad, selected by head coach Ali Amer, included Yahya Adel, Faisal Rashid, Ebrahim Ali, Ali Hussain, Hadi Ghazi, Mohammed Bahzad, Amjad Jaafar, Ali Mehran, Abdulla Osama, Mubarak Fawaz, Mohammed Salah, Khaled Mohammed, Abdulrahman Bassam, Mohammed Adel, Ebrahim Al Muraisi, Hussain Al Haiki, Khaled Al Khalidi, Adam Fareed, Ahmed Nasser, and Khaled Ahmed. Goalkeepers Abdulla Ahmed, Hassan Ali, and Isa Al Thawadi were also part of the roster.

Bahrain’s campaign may have ended earlier than they would have liked, but there were positives to take — not least Mehran’s match-winning display against Oman and Abdulla Ahmed’s assured goalkeeping throughout the tournament.