Bahrain to kick off Futsal Asian Cup qualification bid

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahraini futsal player Mohammed Abdulla said that the national team is determined to secure their berth in the 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup, as they head to the start of their qualification bid tonight in Fujairah. The Bahrainis are scheduled to play their first of two Group B games this evening against hosts UAE in a match kicking off at 11.30pm, Bahrain time, at Zayed Sports Complex.

Abdulla confirmed the readiness of the squad to compete in the qualifiers, and noted that their arrival early in the UAE has helped them get accustomed to the local atmosphere as well as to the playing arena. Abdulla added that the nationals are looking forward to representing the Kingdom in the best possible way, and to make their supporters proud by reaching the tournament finals scheduled to take place in September.

Following their match against the Emiratis, Bahrain take on Iraq tomorrow night at the same time and venue. Bahrain are hoping to qualify for the competition for the fourth time. They previously secured their places for the 2002, 2018 and 2020 events, with their best finish coming in 2018 when they made it to the quarter-finals.

The Bahrainis are one of seven nations vying for five spots from West Asia in the 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup. These sides have been divided into two groups for their qualifiers. Group A consists of Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Palestine and Oman. After a single round-robin in each division, the top two teams book their tickets to this year’s AFC Futsal Asian Cup. The thirdranked squads will play in a playoff for the fifth and final spot.