Bahrain vs. Malaysia and Jordan vs. Korean Samson: Asian Cup 2023 Second Round Preview

Bahrain to exploit Malaysia’s circumstances… and Jordan collides with the “Korean Samson”

The Bahraini national team seeks to cling to its hopes of qualifying to the round of 16 of the Asian Cup in Qatar, when it meets its Malaysian counterpart, on Saturday, at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha in the second round of the fifth group competitions within the Asian Football Cup.

The Jordanian and South Korean teams will also meet in an expected confrontation within the same group, with the former leading with three points and a goal difference over the latter, while the Bahraini national team occupies third place without points and finally Malaysia.

The Bahraini national team enters its match with the ambition of winning in order to maintain its hopes of skipping the group stage after losing to South Korea 1-3 in the first round, relying on its historical superiority over its competitor in the last nine confrontations between them in the Asian qualifiers, the World Cup, and international friendly matches, where it won 6 times. For 3 draws.

Bahrain and its Argentine coach, Juan Antonio Pizzi, also want to take advantage of the shaky morale of the Malaysian national team players and their poor performance against Jordan when they lost 4-0.

Betsy is facing great pressure from the Bahraini sports street, which has been criticized for his choices for the lineup he used to start the matches, in addition to the list he approved for the finals.

Betsy responded to the criticism during the press conference following the loss to South Korea, saying: “I am the first and last responsible for choosing the squad or choosing the list participating in the tournament. We have the names that are considered the best on the local football scene, and our focus during the preparation phase was on choosing the most worthy to represent the national team.” .

He added: “I am satisfied with what the players presented on the field. It was difficult for us to keep up with many of the world-class players. The Korean team enjoyed, in addition to teamwork, the possession of players at high technical and individual levels.”

Betsy explained, on Friday, in the press conference on the eve of the confrontation with Malaysia: “We respect all teams. We watched the Malaysian team against Syria in its friendly match and then against Jordan in the current tournament, and we developed the appropriate plan to confront them.”

For his part, Bahraini national team director Rashid Al-Zayani said: “We confirm that we are able to compensate in the next match, and we have the capabilities to reach the highest levels. We have men on the field that we trust, and the performance that the team presented in the first match is reassuring, and God willing, we will compensate and provide the best.”

It is expected that the Bahraini national team will play its match against Malaysia by making minor changes to the lineup, especially after the end of the career of its defender Amin Bin Adi following a ligament injury in his right ankle against South Korea, and Sayed Mahdi Baqir will participate in his place.

Al-Taamari is one of Jordan’s most prominent cards in the Asian Championship (Jordanian Federation)

At Al Thumama Stadium, South Korea and Jordan will meet in an anticipated confrontation, given that the winner will guarantee not only its qualification to the second round, but also, by a large percentage, the top spot in the group, which will likely make it avoid facing strong Japan in the next round.

Jordan achieved the biggest victory in the current edition, when it defeated Malaysia 4-0, while South Korea defeated Bahrain 3-1 in a match in which Paris Saint-Germain’s French striker Kang In Lee excelled by scoring two goals and stealing the spotlight from the first-class stars in his country’s national team, led by them. Son Heung-min, Tottenham striker.

South Korea’s German coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, said that Kang-in had developed a lot during the short period he spent in the French capital, and said in this regard: “He understands the game now.” Step by step, not only does he do his job in the match by going forward and maybe scoring a goal or making a decisive pass and dribbling and all that, but he also makes a great defensive effort.”

He continued: “It is great for Korean football and the national team to have a player like him to rise to a completely new level.”

The Korean national team received good news in the form of Southampton’s English striker Hwang Hee Chan returning to training this week, and will be available to face Jordan.

As for the Jordanian team, it enters its match against South Korea in high spirits after its landslide victory over Malaysia, but it realizes that it is facing a team of another caliber.

The Jordanian national team is counting on its winger, Musa Al-Taamari, who shines in the French ranks of Montpellier and scored two goals in the first match.

Moroccan coach Hussein Amouta said in the press conference: “Our match will be against a stubborn and experienced continental and international competitor. We must pay attention to the details and have a fighting spirit in order to keep up with the Korean team.”

He added about the health condition of striker Mahmoud Al-Mardi, who scored two goals against Malaysia: “Al-Mardi suffered an injury during the match against Malaysia and is undergoing treatment. We will see the extent of his response, and if he is 100 percent ready, he will play.”

As for Jordanian midfielder Nour Al-Rawabdeh, he said: “On paper, the Korean team is favorite to win, but we will do our best to win.”

2024-01-20 00:13:19

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