FOOTBALL – BAHRAIN’S senior men’s football national team take on their counterparts from North Korea in their opening preliminary round match of the AFC Asian Cup 2027.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed yesterday the final schedule for the 24-team tournament, which is scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia, kicking off on January 7.
The Bahrainis and North Koreans clash on January 8 at Imam Mohammed bin Saud University Stadium in Riyadh. The game is scheduled for a 1.30pm kick-off, Bahrain time.
Bahrain and North Korea are in Group B for the first stage along with Uzbekistan and Jordan. The Bahrainis’ next fixture is then slated for January 13 against Jordan at 4.30pm at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. They then complete their Group B campaign against Uzbekistan on January 17, also at 4.30pm, at Jeddah’s Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium. Both times are also Bahrain.
The group stage will conclude on January 20 before the round of 16 commences two days later. The quarter-finals follow on January 28 and 29, and then the semis will be played on February 1 and 2. The final is then set for February 5 at 8pm, Bahrain time, at the King Fahd Sports City Stadium in the Saudi capital.
Eight stadiums across three cities will serve as venues for the 51 matches in the competition, including five in Riyadh, two in Jeddah, and one in Al Khobar.
Group A is composed of Kuwait, Oman, Palestine, and the host Saudis; Group C features Iran, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, and China; Group D comprises Australia, Tajikistan, Iraq, and Singapore; Group E includes South Korea, the UAE, Vietnam, and Yemen; and Group F features Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and defending champions Qatar.
Meanwhile, the Bahrain Football Association announced yesterday that newly appointed senior men’s national team head coach Felix Sanchez from Spain will have his introductory Press conference on Sunday next week. It will be held at the conference hall of Bahrain’s National Stadium in Riffa.
Sanchez was announced just earlier this month as having reached an agreement with the BFA to fill the role vacated by former head tactician Dragan Talajic. Sanchez will officially begin his tenure with Bahrain during the next Fifa international match window, scheduled between November 9 and 17.
The Bahrainis will be playing in the CFA China Team Guangzhou International Football Invitational Tournament 2026 from November 14 to 17 in Guangzhou, where they will be taking on Yemen and hosts China.
The AFC Asian Cup 2027 will then be Sanchez’s first official competition with Bahrain. Next year’s event will be the eighth time Bahrain are taking part in the AFC’s showpiece tournament.
Their best finish was in 2004, when they finished fourth out of 16 participating nations.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh