Full points for Bahrain but coach pours out a sore point

PETALING JAYA: Bahrain may have bagged full points in the Asian Cup qualifier against Malaysia at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil but their Portuguese coach Helio Sousa had a sore point to stress to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Sousa lamented the unplayable condition of the pitch, which was waterlogged due to a downpour.

It is learnt that some of the Bahraini officials had complained to the AFC members about the field before the kick-off.

And Sousa did not mince his words during the post-match conference.

‘’A minimum of one stadium for a one-week competition is not enough, especially if the weather is bad. Six matches on the same pitch are just too much,” he said.

“We’re in a country that loves the game. The fans deserve better competition. It’s not too much to request for better playing conditions.

‘’The organisers need to know that we deserve better conditions for short competitions like this.’’

Meanwhile, Sousa hailed his players for their emotional stability as they recovered from a goal down to edge the host 2-1.

‘’The passionate fans at the stadium were like extra fuel for the Malaysian team but my players managed to stay calm and fight on after falling behind. They showed character to win this.’’