Bahrain Announces Final Squad for Gulf Cup U20 Tournament
Bahrain has officially named its final 23-player roster for the upcoming AGCFF Gulf Cup U20 2025, as the kingdom’s junior men’s national football team prepares for top-tier regional competition. The squad, guided by head coach Ali Aamer, will take to the field in Abha, Saudi Arabia, for the eight-nation tournament, set to kick off on Thursday and continue until September 10.
This year’s championship marks the first time it is being organized under the umbrella of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF), adding prestige and structure to a tournament that unites top young talent from across the region.
The Bahrain Football Association (BFA) confirmed that the national team delegation, led by junior national team manager Abdulla Fardan, includes both technical and administrative staff members. The Bahraini squad arrived in Saudi Arabia earlier this week and has since intensified its preparations on-site.
Placed in a challenging Group B, the Bahrainis will face off against Iraq, Oman, and Egypt in the group stages. Their opening matchup is set against Iraq on Friday at 7pm (Bahrain time), followed by clashes with Oman on Monday at the same time, and Egypt on September 4 at 4:30pm. All group games will be held at the Damac FC Stadium.
Group A is composed of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Yemen.
From each group, the top two teams will progress to the semi-finals, scheduled for September 7, while the final will be held on September 10 at the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium, with a 4:30pm kickoff.
The Bahrain U20 team has undergone intense training in recent weeks, both domestically and abroad, as part of their preparation strategy for the competition.
The selected players are:
- Yahya Adel, Faisal Rashid, Ebrahim Ali, Ali Hussain, Hadi Ghazi, Mohammed Bahzad, Amjad Jaafar, Ali Mahran, Abdulla Osama, Mubarak Fawaz
- Mohammed Salah, Khaled Mohammed, Abdulrahman Bassam, Mohammed Adel, Ebrahim Al Muraisi, Hussain Al Haiki, Khaled Al Khalidi, Adam Fareed, Ahmed Nasser, Khaled Ahmed
- Goalkeepers: Abdulla Ahmed, Hassan Ali, and Isa Al Thawadi
While Egypt is not an AGCFF member, the North African nation has been included in the tournament, replacing the UAE, who withdrew. Egypt is using the Gulf Cup as a crucial part of its build-up toward the upcoming FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, which runs from September 27 to October 19.
Saudi Arabia, also a participant in the U20 World Cup, will join Japan, South Korea, and Australia as representatives of Asia in the global tournament, highlighting the level of talent on display in Abha.
With Bahrain determined to make a strong showing in this prestigious youth tournament, eyes will be on the red-clad squad as they seek to advance deep into the knockout stages.
Team V.DIR-EM-UAE
