Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Dushanbe: The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain fought out an entertaining 1-1 draw on Friday, a result that does little however to enhance either side’s chances of qualifying for next year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Jordan.
Following a goalless first half, Shahad Jessem had given the UAE a valuable lead shortly after the break, but a late Deena free-kick rescued a share of the spoils for Bahrain who now occupy third spot with four points, some two points behind second-placed Philippines and table-topping Jordan.
As anticipated, the West Asian derby turned out to be a nail-biting affair, with chances at a premium during the first period which the Emiratis narrowly shaded.
The UAE continued to press in the second half, and their hard work was rewarded in the 51st minute, Jassem’s brilliant free-kick flying over a stunned Nouf Al Khalifa in the Bahrain goal to hand her side a deserved yet slender lead.
Bahrain substitute Rawan Nabeel Alali responded with a powerful shot on goal from close range, but UAE custodian Noura Abdulla Saif responded with a fine save.
Yasmeen Fayez Tobellah and Manar Ebrahim Yaqoob then both threatened to restore parity with fine efforts, before Bahrain grabbed an equaliser on 84 minutes, Deena’s accurate set piece ensuring a point for her side.
UAE head coach Samir Landolsi:
“It was a tough match mentally, as the teams have played against each other in the past and we knew that we were at roughly the same level. We had prepared the girls mentally, and it was more about that than the football. I wasn’t happy with how we played in the first period, the girls were thinking about the result more than how they were playing. We played better in the second half and we had many chances, and scored the goal.”
Bahrain head coach Khaled Mohamed Harban:
“My players were tired after two hard games against Jordan and Tajikistan. The first half without goals also played a part in that fatigue. Now we will watch the next match, observe the Philippines and go and recuperate during the two-day break. We need to be at our best against the Philippines.”
Photo: Tajikistan Football Federation