Sport | Football
Bahrain seek to avenge loss against Oman
Today's first semifinal in the Gulf Cup football championship between favourites Oman and a resurgent Bahrain is likely to be a mouth-watering clash as both sides have displayed passionate hunger for success.
- By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:36 May 3, 2009
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Abu Dhabi: Today's first semifinal in the Gulf Cup football championship between favourites Oman and a resurgent Bahrain is likely to be a mouth-watering clash as both sides have displayed passionate hunger for success.
Oman, unbeaten with three successive wins and bidding to better their runners-up finish in the last edition, seem to have an edge.
But Bahrain, who have shown superb resilience and great character in making it this far amid all odds, it will be a revenge-seeking win as they lost out to Oman in the semis last time out.
The two sides have quite a few similarities which may make this battle more even and extend it all the way to the wire. Both do not possess strong home leagues and most of their players ply their trade in leagues outside their respective countries.
Both have never won the Gulf Cup, while their recent record on the regional and international arena has been promising.
However, in this event, Oman have impressed the most and with the wily Milan Macala at the helm they can be tagged as the in-form team.
Having had an extra day's rest and barring three players, the entire first team sat out their final group game. Macala knows most team's in the region very well and this has helped him plot the downfall of hosts UAE, strong contenders Kuwait and Yemen.
Ali Al Habsi, the Bolton goalkeeper, has been top class in goal while in defence, skipper Mohammad Rabe'a, Khalifa Ayil and Said Ashoon lend solidity.
The midfield, where Oman have made a mark, it is Ahmad Adeed and the attacking Fawzi Bashir, who are in great form. Up front it is Imad Al Housawi and Badr Al Maymoun, who are top class goal poachers.
For Bahrain, their presence in today's semifinal is nothing short of a fairytale run. Two players were sent off in their opening match, which they lost 1-2 to Saudi Arabia, and was followed by the sacking of their coach Hans Peter Breigel.
A draw in their next game against Iraq made them the team with the least chance of making it to the semis. However, Ala'a Hubail's injury time goal sent Iraq packing and gave the brave Bahrainis a semifinal berth.
Former skipper Markan Eid along with their Bosnian Head Coach Senad Kreisso have been able to lift the morale of the team and this bunch of highly-skilled, but highly under-rated, Bahraini outfit have it in them to ground the high-flying Omanis.
It was a late goal by Oman's Imad Al Housawi which stopped Bahrain in the semifinals in Qatar two years ago with a 3-2 verdict. Bahrain will be looking to set that record straight today.
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