KUALA LUMPUR: Asian football chiefs said on Friday they took Bahrain’s concerns “seriously” after the country looked to get a World Cup qualifier moved out of Indonesia over alleged death threats.
Bahrain are scheduled to play Indonesia away in March in the decisive third round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in North America.
The teams met last week and drew 2-2, with hosts Bahrain equalising in the ninth minute of injury time.
Indonesian officials and supporters later complained bitterly that the added time had gone on for too long.
Bahrain’s football association (BFA) said this week it will ask for the return fixture to be moved out of Indonesia “to preserve the safety of the team.”
Bahrain’s players have been “subjected to a torrent of insults, slander, threats and hacking operations” online, the BFA alleged.
Indonesia’s FA said the Bahrain team would be safe.
The Asian Football Confederation said it was “aware of the concerns.”
“The AFC takes these concerns seriously and is fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all players, officials, and fans, while condemning all forms of online abuse and threats,” it said in a statement.
“The AFC will discuss the matter further with FIFA, the BFA, and the Football Association of Indonesia to create a safe and secure environment for all stakeholders involved in the match.”
Asian football body takes Bahrain concerns ‘seriously’ after threats
https://arab.news/6te4d
Asian football body takes Bahrain concerns ‘seriously’ after threats
- Bahrain’s players have been “subjected to a torrent of insults, slander, threats and hacking operations” online, the BFA alleged.
- The Asian Football Confederation said it was “aware of the concerns“
Two own goals save Arsenal blushes against Wolves
LONDON: Arsenal avoided a major embarrassment against Premier League bottom club Wolves on Saturday, benefiting from two own goals — one in stoppage time — to win 2-1 and move five points clear of Manchester City.
Manager Mikel Arteta admitted that his team had struggled to create clear chances and that the win should have been much more comfortable.
But he said that the manner of the victory would give the team a major boost.
“That gives you belief that regardless of how the game goes, you can always find a solution to win it,” he told TNT Sports.
“But now we’re going to have a clean week. We need to start to train certain aspects slowly, because if you don’t train them, you start to deteriorate a little bit.”
Arteta’s men were blunt in the first half, failing to muster a single shot on target as Gabriel Martinelli wasted a clutch of chances.
The Arsenal boss made three changes shortly before the hour mark, bringing on Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino for Martinelli, Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi.
The Gunners mounted wave after wave of attacks, and Declan Rice’s shot midway through the second half — their first on target — was well saved by Sam Johnstone.
But in the 70th minute the sheer weight of pressure told to the enormous relief of an impatient and nervy Emirates crowd.
Johnstone flicked Bukayo Saka’s corner onto a post as he scrambled to reach the ball but it rebounded back onto his arm and into the net for an own goal.
Gabriel Jesus came on for Viktor Gyokores for his first home match after 11 months out injured.
Astonishingly, Wolves pulled level in the 90th minute, when Mateus Mane’s flat cross was headed in by Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare.
But just as the Arsenal fans contemplated a damaging draw, the Gunners benefited from a second own goal.
Saka delivered a perfect cross which Jesus attacked but the ball was diverted into his own net by Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera.
Winless Wolves, with a ninth league defeat in a row, have mustered just two points from their 16 games so far and are on course for the worst season in Premier League history.
Pep Guardiola’s City travel to in-form Crystal Palace on Sunday seeking to close the gap to Arsenal, who have not won the Premier League since 2004.
