NO HOLDING BACK

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain begin the defence of their Gulf Cup crown tonight with head coach Dragan Talajic insisting his players are ready for the pressure and determined to give everything against Qatar.

The champions open their 27th Arabian Gulf Cup campaign at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah at 9pm. It is the first of three Group B assignments; the UAE and Yemen also await.

Speaking at yesterday’s pre-match press conference, Talajic underlined the competition's importance, describing the Gulf Cup as the region’s equivalent of a World Cup.

The Croatian also made clear that his side travelled to Saudi Arabia with ambitions of going all the way, rather than treating the competition as preparation for future assignments.

“This is a new tournament and the spirit is very important,” he said.

Bahrain are chasing a third Gulf triumph, having ended a long wait for their maiden success in 2019 before lifting the trophy again in Kuwait in January last year.

That victory came after a memorable campaign which included wins over Saudi Arabia and Iraq, followed by a 2-1 comeback against Oman in the final.

Talajic knows another successful run requires a strong start against Qatar, who are coached by former Real Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui.

“We respect Qatar. They are a very strong team and have a fantastic coach,” he said.

“If they want to beat us, they have to play 200 percent.”

The Bahrain boss also played down concerns over the domestic league starting later than usual, pointing to previous occasions when his players overcame limited preparation to produce results.

Talajic acknowledged the expectations surrounding the holders, but said the greater responsibility comes from representing the kingdom on the regional stage.

“We are under pressure, but not because of the match. We are under pressure because we represent Bahrain,” he said.

“We are a small family with big hearts and we are coming to defend the title.”

Bahrain captain Sayed Dhiya Saeed joined his coach at the press conference and echoed that determination.

The 34-year-old veteran midfielder was part of both of the kingdom’s Gulf Cup-winning squads.

“We are ready and we will give everything we have,” Saeed said.

“Every tournament has its own character. As defending champions, we will enter to compete.”

Qatar, meanwhile, head into the Group B clash with ambitions of their own.

Lopetegui acknowledged the challenge posed by Talajic’s side ahead of the meeting.

“We respect Bahrain. They are the last champions and a respected team,” the Spaniard said.

Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada also expects a difficult test, but said his side will look to take all three points.

Bahrain return to action against the UAE on Sunday at 9pm before completing their preliminary fixtures against Yemen next Wednesday at 8.30pm.

The top two sides in Group B advance to the semi-finals on October 3, with the final scheduled for October 6.