NEW Bahrain coach Gabriel Calderon got off to a winning start when the Nationals secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Jordan in his first game in charge.
Last Thursday’s performance put a smile on the face of the former Argentinian international and set the team up sweetly for a friendly fixture against Kuwait today.
Speaking exclusively to GulfWeekly, Calderon said: 'I am happy with the result. The win was motivating and moving to me and the players.
'They really played a great game and put on an excellent show. They showed that they are smart and I was impressed that the players figured out what I wanted from them in such a short period of time.
'This shows that Bahraini football players not only have the spirit necessary to compete but also have the will and the determination to go far under the right guidance. I hope this quality of football continues.'
Goals against Jordan came from Riffa Club duo Hussain Salman Makki, who dominated in midfield, and defender Mohammed Hussain, who also wore the captain’s armband on the night, while Muharraq Club’s left winger Fawzi Aish added to the tally on his home ground.
Aish will miss today’s game after picking up a leg injury during Sunday night’s training session but medics expect him to have recovered from the muscle strain within three weeks.
Striker Ismail Abdul Latif of Al Ahli Doha in Qatar and centre half Hussain Ali Baba, who plays for Kuwait SC in the Kuwaiti Premier League, will also miss out due to injury.
As a result coach Calderon has called up more of his foreign-based squad members for the clash including defender Sayed Mohammed Adnan who plays for Kuwait’s Al Arabi Sporting Club, midfielder Abdulla Abdi Omar who recently joined Qatar’s Al Ahli Doha, Saudi Arabian Al Shoala Club midfielder Abdulla Fatai and defender Ebrahim Al Obaidly, who plays for Al Nahda Sports Club in Oman.
Calderon said: 'The Kuwait game is very important to me as it will give me a chance to get to know the rest of the players. I haven’t seen all of them play yet so I will have a full roster in Kuwait. We have a big group of good players and Kuwait’s game will be a good chance for me to evaluate the squad.'
Calderon hopes the Bahrain Football Association can arrange two more friendly matches before the country competes in the seventh West Asian Football Federation Championship in Kuwait next month and hosts the coveted Gulf Cup in January.
