SUNDAY, MAY 23, 2021 12 Ukraine look for ‘decent fight’ against Bahrain Helio Sousa: Friendly match in Kharkiv will be a good ‘test’ against ‘such a strong team’ Bahrain’s international• friendly match with Ukraine kicks off at 9pm, Bahrain time, at Metalist Oblast Sports Complex Bahrainis preparing for• joint-qualifiers for Ukraine’s Andriy Shevchenko speaks FIFA World Cup 2022 during his Press conference and AFC Asian Cup 2023, while Ukraine gearing up for Euro 2021 The national team of TDT | Manama Ukraine demonstrates a qualified and meaningful game. Our kraine are looking to Bahrain’s Helio Sousa, right, at the national team’s training yesterday Bahrain’s star forward Ali Madan in action during training have a “decent fight” yesterday ahead of the friendly, a rival on this date, so that we rest of the players are preparing, tional team. opponent’s players have Uin their friendly match Shevchenko admits to knowing could adequately assess the they have no problems.” “I am asking Kharkiv resi - an athletic and technical against Bahrain tonight in the little about Bahrain, but that has situation after a week of hard Shevchenko also called on dents to come to the stadium game, plus Ukraine is city of Kharkiv, says Ukrainian no effect on their objectives in training. We selected a sparring Kharkiv’s football fans to attend tomorrow to support the team, very interesting to act national team coach and former the match. partner for the circumstances in the match and support the na- it is important for us, 50 percent tactically star player Andriy Shevchenko. “The coach of this team is Por- which we are. We want to have a HELIO SOUSA The tune-up is part of both tuguese, he worked with clubs decent fight tomorrow. SQUADS teams’ preparations for up - and the youth team in his home- Shevchenko, the former Mi- of the seats in the arena can be coming international play next land; so, he is an experienced, lan, Chelsea and Dynamo Kyiv Bahrain filled,” he said. “This is a friendly month, and each side will be good specialist,” Shevchenko star revealed that the Ukrainians Ahmed Abdulla, Ali Haram, Ali Madan, Hamad Shamsan, Hashim but very important match for us, looking to make the most of the said of Bahrain’s Helio Sousa. will be missing two key players Isa, Hazza Ali, Jassim Al Shaikh, Komail Alaswad, Mahdi Humaidan, because it is part of the prepara- contest. “In general, we have little in Dynamo’s Vitaliy Buyalsky Mohammed Marhoon, Redha Isa, Sayed Baqer, Sayed Shubbar Alawi, tions for the European Champi- The Bahrainis are gearing up information, but we need this and Shakhtar’s Viktor Kornien- Ahmed Nabeel, Mahdi Abduljabbar, Mohammed Al Rumaihi, Abdulla onship.” for their remaining joint-qualifi- meeting as preparation, so we ko. Hazaa, Ebrahim Lutfallah, Sayed Qasem Alawi, Mohammed Marhoon, Meanwhile, Sousa said in his ers for the FIFA World Cup 2022 are more focused on our own “We have losses, two players Jassim Khulaif, Abbas Fadhel, Sayed Dhiya Saeed. Press conference yesterday: “It and AFC Asian Cup 2023, while game.” dropped out,” he explained. is very interesting for us to test Ukraine are prepping for their He added: “We had a very dif- “Buyalsky has a serious injury, Ukraine ourselves in a match with such a Euro 2021 campaign. ficult preparation period; the we hope for his speedy recov- Heorhiy Bushchan, Andriy Pyatov, Anatoliy Trubin, Oleksandr strong team. The national team The match is scheduled for a guys are under load. ery, but he will not prepare for Karavayev, Ilya Zabarny, Vitaliy Mykolenko, Oleksandr Tymchyk, of Ukraine demonstrates a qual- 9pm kick-off, Bahrain time, and “Tomorrow it will be possible the Euro. Oleksandr Syrota, Denis Popov, Mykola Matvienko, Serhiy Kryvtsov, ified and meaningful game. Our it will be played at Kharkiv’s to make six substitutions, I plan “Kornienko has a sore throat, Taras Stepanenko, Marlos, Georgy Sudakov, Serhiy Sidorchuk, Mykola opponent’s players have an ath- Metalist Oblast Sports Complex, to give many the opportunity he left the location of the team, I Shaparenko, Viktor Tsygankov, Bohdan Lednev, Artem Bondarenko, letic and technical game, plus with local fans in attendance. to play. did not see the point that he was Yevhen Makarenko, Alexander Zubkov Artem Dovbyk, Artem Besedin. Ukraine is very interesting to act Speaking in a Press conference “We were looking for such with us in this condition. The tactically.” Bahrain book Arab Futsal Cup semis berth Al Najma win first-leg in play- Copa del Rey off for premier league spot win was ‘turning Nationals register point’ for resounding• 6-2 victory Barcelona: Messi over Mauritania to stay unbeaten after two games Five Bahrainis score• in the match, led by Jassam Saleh, Messi collects Copa del Rey cup who fired in a brace Reuters | London TDT | Manama arcelona forward Lionel BMessi described the ahrain booked their tick- club’s Copa del Rey win this Bets to the semi-finals of the Action from Bahrain’s win last night over Mauritania season as a “turning point”, fifth Arab Futsal Cup 2021 yes- counter tomorrow. That game but gave no indication of terday following a come-from- is scheduled for a 4pm kick-off, his own future in Catalonia behind 6-2 victory over Mau- Bahrain time. The game will de- in an interview published ritania in their second Group BETTER termine the winner of the group Action from Al Najma’s win last night over Al Ettifaq in the Argentine press yes- A game. heading into the final four. TDT | Manama be played on Wednesday. terday. The nationals maintained The semi-finals are sched- An own goal by Ettifaq’s Mo- Messi, who was allowed their winning ways in the com- KNOW uled to be held on Thursday, to l Najma defeated Al Etti- modou Jallow was enough to to skip Barcelona’s final La petition after also taking their be followed by the bronze and Afaq 1-0 last night to move separate the two sides in yes- Liga game yesterday in or- first game against Kuwait held gold medal games on Saturday. one step closer to keeping their terday’s contest. der to prepare for the Copa on Thursday. Bahrain are making Bahrain are making their de- place in next season’s Nasser His 72nd minute gaffe came America, is out of contract Finding the net for Bahrain but in the tournament this year bin Hamad Bahrain Premier after Najma’s Abdulrahman at the end of June, although yesterday were Jassam Saleh, their debut in the and are hoping to secure a med- Football League. Yusuf sent in a cross from be- negotiations are reported to who scored twice, and Saleh tournament this year al on their very first try. Yesterday’s game was the yond the half-field line. Jal- be ongoing. Ahmed, Falah Abbas, Ammar and are hoping to se- The Arab Futsal Cup last took first-leg of the two teams’ play- low attempted to head the The 33-year-old, however, Hassan and Ali Alwani, who cure a medal on their place in 2008, also in Egypt, off clash. ball away to safety, but instead praised the dressing room, each fired in a goal apiece. very first try when Libya were crowned Najma are fighting to stay he inadvertently headed it which he described as “very The Bahrainis are now as - back-to-back champions, after in the premier league after over his own goalkeeper and young, with a lot of new sured of a place in the last four. now second on the table with having also won in 2007. finishing the past season in straight into the net. players” and the excitement They top Group A with six four points, Kuwait third with Egypt won the tournament’s eighth place while Ettifaq are Ettifaq were unable to make generated by the 4-0 win points. one and Mauritania at the bot- first two editions, held in 1998 looking to earn promotion af- up for the mistake over the over Athletic Bilbao in the Tournament hosts Egypt tom with zero points. and 2005. They also were the ter going third in the second remainder of the contest while Copa del Rey final, Barca’s drew with Kuwait in yester- The Bahrainis and Egyptians runners-up the two previous division. Najma could not add to their first trophy in two years. day’s other game. Egypt are face off in their final group en- times. The second and final leg will lead. Hon. Chairman Najeb Yacob Alhamer | Editor-in-Chief Mahmood AI Mahmood | Chairman & Managing Director P Unnikrishnan Advertisement: Update Media W.L.L | Tel: 38444692, Email: [email protected] | Newsroom: Tel: 36458345, Email: [email protected] Subscription & circulation: Tel: 36458394 | Email: [email protected] | Website: www.newsofbahrain.com | Printed and published by Al Ayam Publishing .