Indonesia on High Alert as Bahrain Eyes World Cup: Success in Gulf Cup
Indonesia’s national team must be on guard against Bahrain’s strength in the ongoing third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian Zone. The Garuda squad will host Bahrain on March 25, 2025, at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK) in Senayan, Jakarta. Bahrain, like other teams, is also improving. Bahrain’s national team’s progress was evident when they emerged victorious in the Gulf Cup on January 4. Bahrain defeated Oman 2-1 in the final. Bahrain coach Dragan Talajic aims to leverage this Gulf Cup success as a morale boost for their first-ever appearance in the World Cup, hoping to break their island nation’s qualification curse.
Bahrain’s Path to World Cup Glory
Bahrain, with a population of around 1.5 million people located in the narrow Gulf strip between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, has never qualified for the World Cup. However, they came close twice, losing to Trinidad and Tobago in the intercontinental playoff for the 2006 World Cup and facing the same fate against New Zealand four years later. With FIFA expanding the World Cup participants from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 edition, eight Asian countries will directly qualify for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Talajic’s recruitment has instilled confidence in Bahrain’s chances.
At 59 years old, Talajic has spent most of his coaching career in the Gulf, serving as Bahrain’s technical director before taking over from Juan Antonio Pizzi at the helm after the team’s elimination from the Asian Cup in February. His impact has been immediate, guiding Bahrain through the remaining matches of the second phase of Asian qualifiers and into the third round, where Bahrain began with a narrow 1-0 victory over Australia in September. In November, draws against Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Australia earned Bahrain six points in Group C, trailing far behind table-toppers Japan but just one point behind the second-placed Socceroos before the four-month break in the qualifying stage. The top two teams will qualify directly, while the third and fourth-placed teams can advance to the fourth round of qualifiers.
Bahrain’s upcoming matches include facing Japan on March 20, followed by an away game in Indonesia. The rematch is eagerly anticipated by Garuda fans, especially after the controversial draw in Bahrain’s previous match, where Bahrain scored the equalizer in the 90+9th minute of injury time. This incident led to a request by Bahrain to move the upcoming Jakarta match to a neutral venue, which was denied by the AFC. In the Gulf Cup, Bahrain achieved victory by defeating Saudi Arabia and Iraq in the group stage. They then triumphed over Kuwait in the semifinals with a 1-0 scoreline and emerged victorious against Oman with a 2-1 score in the final thanks to Mohammed Al-Musalami’s own goal in the 80th minute.
Bahrain’s Focus and Determination
“Maintaining focus helps us perform at our best,” said Talajic, whose team also benefitted from a last-minute winning goal in the semifinals. “We prepare for every scenario we face on the field, knowing that the outcome can change at any moment.” “We came to Kuwait with high hopes and ambitions, aware that we would face teams considered favorites to win the title. Our main goal is to qualify for the World Cup. We are aware of the challenges this journey presents,” he added.
