WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2021 20 Bahrain set for training camp, friendlies National team head coach Helio Sousa calls up 23 players for the squad that will be holding a two-week training camp, including five days in Kiev, in preparation for Bahrain’s joint-qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Kharkiv on May 23. Bahrain set to play This friendly is the first of • two this month. The other will two friendlies in the be against Malaysia at home on last week of May, first May 28. against Ukraine on May Bahrain are in Group C of 23 and then against joint-qualifying, along with Iraq, Iran, Cambodia and Hong Kong. Malaysia on May 28 Bahrain are set to go against Cambodia on June 3, Iran on Thirteen players June 7 and then Hong Kong on from• Riffa named to June 15, all in the Kingdom. training squad, with The Bahrainis are currently second in the group with nine Gulf Air held its annual Ramadan football tournament which was exclusive others from Manama, points, having won two matches National team head coach Helio Sousa ... ready (file photo) and restricted to fully COVID-19 vaccinated or recovered employees. Held East Riffa, Malkiya, and drawn thrice. Iraq are the outdoors, the tournament included 8 teams that represented different Budaiya, Al Shabab, crucial period. Two are from East Riffa, in- leaders with 11 points after win- divisions and departments in competition to win the trophy. The Engineering Al Khaldiya, and Al The squad list was announced cluding Mohammed Al Rumaihi ning three games and drawing team won the tournament’s trophy while Airport and Pilots teams won the last night by the Bahrain Foot- and Abdulla Hazaa. two other times. Iran are third runner up spots. All winning teams were awarded by Gulf Air’s Acting Chief Nasr from Kuwait ball Association. The camp will The rest of the team features with six points but have played Executive Officer Captain Waleed AlAlawi kick off locally on Saturday and Mohammed Marhoon from just three matches so far and TDT | Manama continue until May 28. Bahrain’s Malkiya Club, Jassim Khulaif have two wins and two loss - qualifiers are currently sched- from Budaiya, Abbas Fadhel es. Hong Kong and Cambodia ahrain head coach Helio uled to begin in the first week from Al Shabab, Ebrahim Lut- completed the Group C table Germany boss Loew set to Sousa has called up a 23- of June. fallah from Al Khaldiya Club, with five points and one point, Bman national team that The team includes 13 play- and overseas-based professional respectively. will be travelling to Kiev in just ers from national league-and- Sayed Dhiya Saeed from Al Nasr There are eight groups in all recall Mueller for Euro 2020 over a week’s time and play two cup champions Riffa, namely SC in Kuwait. in this round of qualifiers, with AFP | Munich eller and “told him he wants to international friendly matches Ahmed Abdulla, Ali Haram, There were no players named five nations in each group. At recall him” when the 26-man later this month. Ali Madan, Hamad Shamsan, from Hidd or Muharraq, as both the end of this stage of qualifi- ermany coach Joachim Germany squad for the Euro- The Bahrainis will be holding Hashim Isa, Hazza Ali, Jassim clubs are set to play in the AFC cation, the eight group winners GLoew has reportedly con- pean Championship is named the camp and tune-up games Al Shaikh, Komail Alaswad, Cup during the same period. and the four best runners-up tacted Thomas Muller and is on May 19. as part of their remaining Mahdi Humaidan, Mohammed The Bahrainis are expected advance to the third round of poised to reverse the forward’s Mueller, 31, has been in joint-qualifying matches for the Marhoon, Redha Isa, Sayed to depart for Kiev on May 20, World Cup qualifying, and also 2019 exile by naming the Bay- outstanding form for Bayern, FIFA World Cup 2022 and AFC Baqer and Sayed Shubbar Alawi. where they will stay until May secure their berths in the Asian ern Munich player in his Euro who were confirmed Sat - Asian Cup 2023. Those qualifi- Three players are from Ma- 24. They are scheduled to face Cup. The next best 24 teams will 2020 squad. urday as Bundesliga cham - ers will be held in the Kingdom nama, namely Ahmed Nabeel, their Ukranian counterparts compete in a separate competi- According to daily Bild yes- pions for the ninth straight next month, and this will be Mohammed Adel and league at the Metalist Oblast Sports tion for the remaining 12 slots in terday, Loew has phoned Mu- season. the team’s final lead-up to that top scorer Mahdi Abduljabbar. Complex stadium in the city of the Asian Cup. Japan’s Osaka ‘not sure’ Olympics Bahrain set for AFC Cup should happen as doubts grow AFP | Tokyo matches later this month apanese superstar Naomi JOsaka has admitted she is Bahraini club “not really sure” the coronavi- • rus-hit Tokyo Olympics should Muharraq to compete in go ahead, as doubts grow about Group B, to be played in the Games just weeks before Jordan, along with home the opening ceremony. side Al Salt, Markaz The four-time tennis Grand Slam winner joined fellow Jap- Balata of Palestine and anese player Kei Nishikori in Al Ansar of Lebanon raising concerns as Tokyo and other parts of Japan remain un- TDT | Manama der a virus state of emergency. A top politician also warned ahrain is set to host three that Japan still had to make a Japan’s Naomi Osaka poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup trophy matches in the 2021 AFC “careful decision” about wheth- after winning Australian Open 2021 (file photo) BCup group stage later er to hold the Games, which prospect, said “to be honest, I’m this month. have scant public support, ac- not really sure”, when asked if The Group A games are cording to opinion polls. the Olympics should take place scheduled to be held between Hidd players … all set for AFC Cup challenge (file photo) Scrapping the 2020 Olym- I’m an athlete, and of as planned. May 21 and 27, featuring three pics, postponed last year as course my immediate “I’m an athlete, and of course clubs, including Bahraini outfit tures Tishreen of Syria, Markaz 2022 AFC Champions League. the pandemic advanced, is an my immediate thought is that I Hidd, defending champions Al Shabab Al Am’ari of Palestine, Ahed won the 2019 AFC Cup, idea that has never quite gone thought is that I want to play in the Olympics,” Ahed of Lebanon and Al Wahda Al Faisaly of Jordan and Al Ku- and will be looking to defend away, despite repeated asser- want to play in the the four-time Grand Slam win- of Syria. wait of Kuwait. their title with the competition tions from officials that they Olympics. But as a ner told the BBC. Hidd will be hoping to fin- The Zonal semi-finals are not being held last year due to will proceed. human, I would say “But as a human, I would ish in first place to advance to scheduled to be held in August the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey by a leading Japa- we’re in a pandemic, say we’re in a pandemic, and the Zonal semi-finals. They can and September later this year. A total of 38 clubs from 28 nese daily released on Monday and if people aren’t if people aren’t healthy, and if also make it through as the best This year’s AFC Cup is the nations are competing in this found 59 percent of respond- healthy, and if they’re they’re not feeling safe, then runners-up from West Asia. 18th edition of the competition. year’s tournament. ents want the Olympics can- it’s definitely a really big cause Groups B and C are also in the The AFC Cup is Asia’s second- A Bahraini club has won celled, underlining persistent not feeling safe, then for concern.” same zone. Bahrain’s Muharraq ary club tournament organised the AFC Cup just once in the public concerns over the risk it’s definitely a really Nishikori said there “defi- are in Group B along with Al by the Asian Football Confed- past, when Muharraq took of infections. big cause for concern nitely should be a discussion” Salt of Jordan, Markaz Balata eration. the title in 2008. They had Osaka, Japan’s biggest sports NAOMI OSAKA on whether Tokyo should of Palestine and Al Ansar of The winners of the AFC Cup also finished as runners-up in star and a major gold-medal plough ahead. Lebanon; while Group C fea- automatically qualify for the 2006. Hon. 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