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Bahrain national football team

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Bahrain
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Al-Ahmar (The Red)
AssociationBahrain Football Association
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationWAFF (West Asia)
Head coachPeter Taylor
Top scorerHusain Ali (33)[1]
Home stadiumBahrain National Stadium
FIFA codeBHR
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current97
Highest44 (September 2004)
Lowest139 (March 2000)
First international
Bahrain Bahrain 4–4 Kuwait 
(Baghdad, Iraq; April 2, 1966)
Biggest win
Bahrain Bahrain 5–0 Kyrgyzstan 
(Muharraq, Bahrain; 9 June 2004)
Bahrain Bahrain 5–0 Turkmenistan 
(Riffa, Bahrain; 3 August 2005)
Bahrain Bahrain 5–0 Panama 
(Riffa, Bahrain; 27 October 2005)
Biggest defeat
 Iraq 10–1 Bahrain Bahrain
(Baghdad, Iraq; 5 April 1966)
Asian Cup
Appearances3 (first in 1988)
Best resultFourth place; 2004

The Bahrain national football team (Arabic: البحريني لكرة القدم) is the national team of the Kingdom of Bahrain and is controlled by the Bahrain Football Association; it was founded in 1951 and joined FIFA in 1966. They have never reached the finals of the World Cup, but have twice come within one match of doing so. Bahrain won the FIFA's most improved team award in 2004, and finished fourth in the 2004 Asian Cup, beating Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals but losing to Japan in the semi-finals 4–3. Bahrain then lost to Iran in the third-place match, thus finishing in fourth place overall. Several law-breaking players were detained in the wake of the 2011 pro-democracy reform protests.

History

2006 World Cup

After Uzbekistan and Bahrain both finished third in their respective groups during the World Cup 2006 qualifiers, Bahrain entered a two-legged playoff with Uzbekistan, which they won on away goals with an aggregate score of 1–1. This allowed Bahrain to enter another two-legged playoff with the fourth-placed CONCACAF nation, (Trinidad and Tobago), for a spot in the World Cup. But a 0–1 Bahrain loss in Manama after a 1–1 draw in Port of Spain saw the CONCACAF nation go through.

2007 Asian Cup

Bahrain played in group D in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification group games. Bahrain fielded a side which was essentially the Olympic (under 23) team against Australia, and they lost 2–0. Bahrain qualified for the Asian Cup 2007 after defeating Kuwait in their last match. Bahrain were knocked out in the group stages via two losses against Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, despite a win against Korea Republic.

2010 World Cup

In the third round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Bahrain were drawn into group B along with Japan, Oman, and Thailand. They finished second overall to qualify to the final round, in which Bahrain finished third overall in their group, below Australia and Japan, but above Uzbekistan and Qatar. In the second leg of the playoff against Saudi Arabia to decide Asia's fifth best team, Bahrain drew 2–2 with Saudi Arabia after scoring in stoppage time which allowed them go through on away goals, after drawing their home leg 0–0. They went on to play New Zealand in the final playoff in which the victor would qualify for the World Cup, but after a goalless draw in Manama on 10 October 2009, Bahrain lost the return leg 1–0 in Wellington, missing out on qualification at the last hurdle for the second time running.

The Bahrain national football team playing Australia on June 10, 2009 in a World Cup qualifier

Player suspensions during the Bahrain 2011 Arab Spring protests

On 5 April 2011 A'ala Hubail and his brother Mohamed Hubail, both members of the national football team, were arrested by the Bahraini authorities in connection with their participation in the 2011 Bahraini protests. A'ala Hubail, Golden Boot winning member of Bahrain's 2004 Asian Cup team and a trained paramedic, had attended demonstrations where he had reportedly helped provide medical assistance. Mohamed Hubail had taken part in a march. The day before his arrest Ala'a Hubail had appeared on a chat-show programme on Bahrain state television in which he had been aggressively questioned and criticised and sports stars taking part in the protests had been denounced as "stray hyenas".[2][3] The Hubails' club, Al-Ahli, announced that the brothers had been dismissed from the club squad.[4] Another member of the national team Sayed Mohamed Adnan was also arrested and a fourth Shia member of the team Abbas Ayaad was among 150 other athletes, including nationally known basketball, volleyball, and handball players, suspended from local clubs as part of an effort to suppress anti-government dissent. As of mid-June 2011 the Hubail brothers and Mohamed Adnan were still being held without trial.[5][6][7][8]

The Bahrain Football Association described the players' suspensions as "falling under misconduct, and the breaching of the rules and regulations of sporting clubs . . . not to engage in any political affairs".[3]

The players' effective ban from the national team has raised controversy concerning the failure by FIFA, football's international governing body, to apply its strict rules banning political interference in the running of football impartially.[8]

According to Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa al Khalifa, the Bahraini Football Association vice president and a member of the ruling family targeted by pro-democracy protests, FIFA's rules on political interference do not apply to the Bahraini situation because the players concerned had "opposed the general laws and bylaws of the country". A show of tolerance towards the footballers would "result in the disintegrating of the equality under the law spirit"[sic], contrary to everything that Bahrain's "revered government" stood for.[8]

On the other hand Keir Radnedge, former editor of World Soccer and expert commentator, pointing to discrepancies in FIFA's treatment of governments who have attempted to interfere politically in football, reflected that neither prospective candidate in the imminent FIFA Presidential election was thought likely to wish to upset the al-Khalifas with their extensive sporting influence in the region. Human rights activists have suggested that FIFA's silence is liable to be interpreted by the Bahraini FA as a signal of approval to tolerate violence against football players.[8]

The Bahrain football squad of which the Hubails and Adnan were members, described as the most talented group of footballers since Bahrain achieved independence, were referred to by their former coach Milan Macala ahead of the 2009 World Cup playoff against New Zealand as a symbol of unity, with no religious differences. As a result of the unprotested jailing of Shia members, the national team is no longer seen as a symbol of unity.[8]

Competition records

Coaches

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. Caps and goals updated as January 18, 2011 after match against Australia.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Mahmood Mansoor (1980-06-01)1 June 1980 (aged 30) 2 0 Bahrain Al-Muharraq
21 1GK Ahmed Mushaima (1982-12-13)13 December 1982 (aged 28) 0 0 Bahrain Al-Ahli
22 1GK Abbas Ahmed Khamis (1983-06-13)13 June 1983 (aged 27) 10 0 Bahrain Al-Ahli
2 2DF Rashed Al Hooti (1989-12-24)24 December 1989 (aged 21) 9 0 Bahrain East Riffa
3 2DF Abdulla Marzooqi (1980-12-12)12 December 1980 (aged 30) 70 5 Qatar Al-Sailiya
5 2DF Saleh Abdulhameed (1982-08-04)4 August 1982 (aged 28) 5 0 Bahrain Al-Najma
6 2DF Abbas Ayyad (1987-05-11)11 May 1987 (aged 23) 14 0 Bahrain Al-Ahli
16 2DF Dawood Saad (1982-12-06)6 December 1982 (aged 28) 5 0 Bahrain Riffa
17 2DF Hussain Ali Baba (1982-02-11)11 February 1982 (aged 28) 64 3 Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab
23 2DF Ebrahim Mishkhas (1980-07-07)7 July 1980 (aged 30) 17 1 Bahrain Al-Muharraq
4 3MF Abdulla Fatadi (1985-11-02)2 November 1985 (aged 25) 30 7 United Arab Emirates Al-Ittihad Kalba
7 3MF Hamad Rakea (1984-04-22)22 April 1984 (aged 26) 20 1 Bahrain Riffa
9 3MF Abdulwahab Al Malood (1990-06-07)7 June 1990 (aged 20) 3 0 Bahrain Al-Muharraq
10 3MF Waleed Al Hayam (1988-11-04)4 November 1988 (aged 22) 10 0 Bahrain Al-Muharraq
12 3MF Faouzi Aaish (1985-02-27)27 February 1985 (aged 25) 52 8 Qatar Al-Sailiya
13 3MF Mahmood Abdulrahman (1984-11-22)22 November 1984 (aged 26) 37 6 Qatar Al-Shamal
14 3MF Salman Isa (1977-07-12)12 July 1977 (aged 33) 103 16 Qatar Al-Arabi
15 3MF Abdullah Omar (1987-01-01)1 January 1987 (aged 24) 38 2 Switzerland Neuchâtel Xamax
18 3MF Abdulwahab Al Safi (1987-04-13)13 April 1987 (aged 23) 16 0 Bahrain Al-Ahli
19 3MF Mahmood Al Ajmi (1987-05-08)8 May 1987 (aged 23) 0 0 Albania KF Tirana
8 4FW Jaycee Okwunwanne (1985-10-08)8 October 1985 (aged 25) 46 11 Turkey Eskişehirspor
11 4FW Ismail Abdul-Latif (1986-09-05)5 September 1986 (aged 24) 58 20 Oman Al-Nasr
20 4FW Abdulla Al-Dakeel (1985-06-03)3 June 1985 (aged 25) 20 5 Bahrain Al-Muharraq

Recent Callups

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
-- 1GK Sayed Mohammed Jaffer (1985-08-25) 25 August 1985 (age 38) 34 0 Bahrain Al-Muharraq
-- 1GK Ali Hasan (1972-08-16) 16 August 1972 (age 51) 30 0 Bahrain Al-Muharraq
-- 1GK Abdulrahman Abdulkarim (1980-05-13) 13 May 1980 (age 44) 21 0 Bahrain Al-Najma
-- 2DF Sayed Mohamed Adnan (1983-02-05) 5 February 1983 (age 41) 62 8 Qatar Al-Khor
-- 2DF Mohamed Husain (1980-07-31) 31 July 1980 (age 44) 61 6 Qatar Umm-Salal
-- 2DF Ahmed Taleb (1980-03-29) 29 March 1980 (age 44) 33 4 Bahrain Manama Club
-- 2DF Jasim Al Malood (1987-10-06) 6 October 1987 (age 36) Bahrain Al-Najma
-- 2DF Rashed Isa Alallan (1987-11-27) 27 November 1987 (age 36) 4 0 Bahrain Bahrain
-- 3MF Talal Yusuf (1975-02-24) 24 February 1975 (age 49) 70 19 Bahrain Al-Riffa
-- 3MF Rashid Al-Dosari (1980-03-24) 24 March 1980 (age 44) 67 3 Bahrain Al-Muharraq
-- 3MF Hamad Al Banki (1988-06-23) 23 June 1988 (age 36) Unattached
-- 3MF Ali Abdulwahab (1987-04-13) 13 April 1987 (age 37) 5 0 Bahrain Al-Busaiteen
-- 3MF Abdulla Abdi Omar (1988-03-27) 27 March 1988 (age 36) 7 0 Bahrain Al-Riffa
3MF Mohamed Hubail (1981-06-23) 23 June 1981 (age 43) 58 5 Bahrain Al-Ahli
3MF Sayed Mahmood Jalal (1980-11-05) 5 November 1980 (age 43) 82 4 Bahrain Al-Muharraq
3MF Hussain Salman (1982-12-20) 20 December 1982 (age 41) 25 1 Bahrain Al-Riffa
-- 4FW Rashad Jamal Salem (1979-01-18) 18 January 1979 (age 45) 28 1 Bahrain Al-Najma
-- 4FW Jamal Rashid (1988-11-07) 7 November 1988 (age 35) 8 0 Bahrain Al-Ahli
-- 4FW A'ala Hubail (1982-06-25) 25 June 1982 (age 42) 68 24 Bahrain Al-Ahli
-- 4FW Husain Ali (1981-12-31) 31 December 1981 (age 42) 91 33 Bahrain Al-Muharraq

Note: Caps and goals may be incomplete for certain players, therefore being inaccurate.

Kit Providers

References

  1. ^ Mamrud, Roberto; Stokkermans, Karel. "Players with 100+ Caps and 30+ International Goals". RSSSF. Retrieved 2011-07-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "In Bahrain, first, they came for the athletes" by Tahiyya Lulu at guardian.co.uk, 22 April 2011, accessed 24 April 2011
  3. ^ a b "Sportsmen feel heat from Bahrain regime", by Hugh Tomlinson, at "The Australian" website, republished from "The Times", 8 April 2011, accessed 15 May 2011
  4. ^ "Top sportsmen sacked for taking part in rallies", Gulf Daily News, 7 April 2011, accessed 24 April 2011
  5. ^ List of targeted Bahraini sports players, referees and clubs, at Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights website www.byshr.org, updated 24 April 2011, accessed 15 May 2011
  6. ^ "Bahrain cracks down on protesting footballers" by Dave Zirin, Al Jazeera Opinion, 15 April 2011, accessed 15 May 2011
  7. ^ "Bahrain cracks down on athletes", Associated Press report at Sports Illustrated website, 18 April 2011, accessed 15 May 2011
  8. ^ a b c d e http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/football/06/05/football.bahrain.arrests.F1/index.html?section=cnn_latest "As F1 returns to Bahrain, footballers languish in jail", by James Montague, CNN, 6 June 2011]. accessed 16 June 2011
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