Soccer: Bahrain coach shrugs off loss of striker to injury

Bahrain coach Milan Macala. Photo / Getty Images

A serious knee injury has ended Bahrain striker Ala'a Hubail's hopes of playing against New Zealand in the crucial World Cup qualifier in Wellington next month.

While the six months he is facing out of the game is a blow to the 27-year-old, who was injured while playing for Al-Ahli against Manama in Bahrain's first division, it appears coach Milan Macala is not too concerned.

He did not use him off the bench in the two matches against Saudi Arabia - drawn 0-0 and 2-2 - and only for the last four minutes of the first leg of the Asia/Oceania playoff against the All Whites in Manama earlier this month which also ended 0-0.

It is not the first time Hubail has been sidelined with a knee injury.

He missed the second half of the 2005-06 season and the start of the next after having two operations and was again sidelined earlier this year with another knee injury.

But when he has been fit, he has been a key player in the national side, scoring 24 goals in 68 matches since his 2003 debut.

"It is disappointing that we will miss Ala'a and I hope he recovers soon," said Macala. "A lot of players previously suffered an injury here in Bahrain and it is really disappointing. It's really early to discuss whether I will call for a replacement but we will look into it in the coming days."

There was good news off the pitch for the Bahrainis yesterday with confirmation of a special deal with national carrier Gulf Air.

Under the agreement signed in Manama, the airline will fly the team to Sydney on November 7 - the day after an international friendly against Rwanda the previous night - before flying into Wellington on November 12 - two days before the tie.

The Bahrainis will have plenty of support. The General Organisation for Youth and Sports (Goys) have arranged for 50 or so Bahraini students based in New Zealand to be flown to Wellington where they will be joined by 30 students studying in Sydney.

Their airfares and accommodation costs have "been taken care of".

Gulf Air are also offering a fare of $1385 for a return flight for supporters keen to make the trip to a game the Bahrainis are confident of winning.

"Whoever watched the game in Manama saw that we dominated," said Goys president Shaikh Fawaz. "We were clearly the better side. We created a lot of chances but missed. Hopefully these chances will not go to waste in New Zealand."

All Whites coach Ricki Herbert, happy with his team's rise in the Fifa rankings from 100 to 83 (Bahrain are up three places to 61), will name his 18-strong squad next Wednesday but it appears unlikely there will be many, if any, changes from the team he named for the first leg.

Hopes of squeezing an extra 3000 fans into Westpac Stadium - to go with the almost 35,000-sellout crowd - have been dashed by Fifa who ruled they would not allow the erection of temporary sideline seating.