Asian Cup 2019: India vs. Bahrain- 5 Bahraini stars to watch out for

India will cross swords with Bahrain on 14th January at 9:30 p.m. IST at the Al-Sharjah Stadium in their third and final group stage match of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. On paper, this should be an easy outing for the Blue Tigers as they are ranked 16 places ahead of them in the FIFA rankings.

Furthermore, Bahrain are yet to win a single match in the continental extravaganza, drawing 1-1 against UAE, and losing 1-0 to Thailand. That being said, they were leading against the hosts until the 88th minute and, Chanathip Songkrasin's sublime finish bereft them of a point against the War Elephants.

Also Read: How can the Blue Tigers make the Round of 16?

Against UAE, India created a plethora of chances but Khalid Eisa and Ali Mabkhout's individual brilliance separated the two sides. If these five Bahraini players click, India might finish second best and get knocked out of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

#5 Komail Hasan Alaswad

Komail Hasan Alaswad is one of Bahrain's pivotal players who can play both as a midfielder in the centre of the pitch and as a feeder to the striker Mohammed Al-Romaihi. Against UAE, the 24-year-old was quick enough to lodge counter attacks with his blistering pace and, in the 44th minute, his free-kick from the edge of the box dipped slightly late to hit the roof of the net.

However, the Al-Riffa Sports Club player had an off day in the encounter against Thailand. He played a line back, allowing Sayed Saeed, Mohamed Marhoon, Mohamed Al Romaihi, and Ali Jaafar Madan to play up front. Komail wasn't defensively astute enough to stop the War Elephants' attacks from the centre and wasn't consistent with his passing either.

If Bahrain's coach Miroslav Soukup frees him off defensive duties, Komail Hasan Alaswad can be a major threat against India.

#4 Ali Jaafar Madan

Like the previous name, Ali Jaafar Madan isn't defensively astute either but while surging forward can cause a lot of problems.

Against UAE in the 44th minute, it was his well-knitted dribbling skill which forced the UAE defenders to bring him down. The ensuing free-kick could have given Bahrain the lead at sailed over agonizingly wide.

His pace and dribbling skill is something which the Indian centre-backs need to be wary of. Anas is one of the slowest centre-backs in the tournament and, India plays a high line as well to initiate counter-attacks. Ali Madan can punish him when Bahrain initiates a counter as he can easily outrun him.

The Al-Najma player has represented Bahrain 27 times, scoring 4 goals. He even made nine appearances for their U-23 team, scoring four goals and remains an integral part of their national team setup. His ability to win fouls in the attacking half of the pitch can come handy for the team.

#3 Sayed Shubbar Alawi

Sayed Shubbar Alawi was only beaten once against UAE and it was from a well-taken penalty by Ahmed Khalil

Sayed Shubbar Alawi is Bahrain's goalkeeper whom India needs to clear if they want to score a goal. Against UAE, India found it tough to breach the last line of defence as Khalid Eisa produced two point-blank saves to deny them the lead.

And, Sayed Shubbar Alawi will not make the lives of Udanta Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Ashique Kuruniyan, and Jeje Lalpekhlua any easier. Against UAE, the Al-Najma SC player produced top-notch saves to deny Ismael Al Hammadi and Saif Rashid from scoring and the Indian forward line will have to come up with better finishing if they want to put the ball past him.

Sayed Shubbar Alawi is also known for his brilliant positioning and vision to find the right players in initiating counter attacks. The 33-year-old veteran has made only 15 appearances for his country but, his maturity outweighs his inexperience.

#2 Abdulla Yusuf Helal

Abdulla Yusuf Helal hasn't had a good tournament as he failed to find himself in the starting line-up in either of Bahrain's matches and was ineffective when he came off the bench. However, the Indian players should make a specific plan for him, as they did for Thailand's Chanathip Songkrasin, as he is the sole player from Bahrain playing in a European outfit.

The 25-year-old played for Czech club Bohemians 1905 in the 2018-19 season, finding the back of the net in 18 appearances. Seeing his brilliant performance, Czechoslovakia's top club Slavia Prague signed him but loaned him back to Bohemians 1905 for the rest of the season.

Given that it is a must-win match for Bahrain, coach Miroslav Soukup won't take the risk of not fielding him. Abdulla Yusuf Helal is scintillating when playing in the centre-forward position. And, if he can forge a partnership with Mohammed Al-Romaihi, the Indian defenders can have a nightmare.

#1 Mohamed Al-Romaihi

Bahrain coach Miroslav Soukup likes to play a lone striker up front Mohammed Al Romaihi dons the role for the Gulf side. The 28-year-old has made 10 appearances for the national team, finding the back of the thrice.

Mohamed Al-Romaihi was a constant nuisance for the Thailand defenders in the first half and the same for the UAE ones in both the halves. The 186cm tall striker is also good aerially and proved his worth by towering above the defenders to score a goal against UAE in the tournament opener.

Sandesh and Anas aren't good at dealing with aerial balls while defending. It was evident in the match against China as they failed to win a single aerial duel in the second half. Mohamed Al-Romaihi can punish them if they don't improve on this aspect.

Apart from these five players, which other Bahraini stars do you think the Indian players should be wary about? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Edited by Aaditya Narayan