Les Fennecs Outclass Bahrain in Doha

TDT | Manama | Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain’s Arab Cup campaign came to an early end, losing 5-1 to a resurgent Algeria in their Group D match at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. Coming off a 2-1 defeat to Iraq and facing a side fresh from World Cup qualification, it was always an uphill task for the Reds, and Les Fennecs showed exactly why they are among the tournament favorites.

Bahrain thought they had the perfect start in the 8th minute when Abdulla Al Khalasi tapped in following chaos from a Mehdi Humaidan free kick. The joy was short-lived, however, as VAR confirmed that Mehdi Abduljabbar had been offside and interfering with play. Still, Bahrain’s energetic start forced Algeria onto the back foot, even prompting Algerian icon Yacine Brahimi to gesture from the sidelines for his teammates to settle down.

Algeria then struck first in the 24th minute. Youcef Atal controlled the ball wonderfully on the wing and sent in a sharp low delivery for Redouane Berkane to tap home. But Bahrain responded swiftly. Three minutes later, Humaidan sparked a sweeping move, feeding Madan on the byline before Abduljabbar redeemed himself with a composed close-range finish to make it 1-1.

Parity didn’t last though. In the 30th minute, Bahrain’s high defensive line was brutally exposed. Berkane turned provider, threading a perfectly weighted diagonal pass to Adil Boulbina, who raced through acres of space before slotting past Omar Salem, starting in place of the injured Ebrahim Lutfalla. And from there, the Algerians began to assert full control.

Their dominance was rewarded on the stroke of halftime when Farid Chaal’s long goal kick bounced dangerously into Bahrain’s defensive third. A misjudged sliding challenge from Amine Bennadi sent Berkane tumbling, and earned Algeria a penalty that Yacine Benzia dispatched with ease to make it 3-1 at the break.

The second half began disastrously for Bahrain. Just three minutes in, Boulbina unleashed a powerful long-range effort that Berkane subtly redirected with a deft header for Algeria’s fourth. Minutes later, Sofiane Bendebka thought he had added another from a Benzia corner, only for the referee to disallow it for a soft foul on Abduljabbar.

As the match wore on, Algeria continued to press, and with ten minutes remaining Brahimi threaded a perfect pass to Boulbina, who hammered in a low finish for 5-1 and his second of the night.

Despite the scoreline, Bahraini fans kept chanting until the final whistle. Their support couldn’t prevent the inevitable. With Iraq defeating Sudan 2-0 thanks to late goals from Mohanad Ali and Amjad Attwan, Bahrain bow out of the Arab Cup, remain bottom of Group D without a point, and join Sudan in exiting the tournament. Algeria and Iraq advance to the quarter-finals, leaving the Reds to face Sudan in a dead-rubber match on Tuesday at Education City Stadium.