Bahrain forward Mahdi Al Humaidan
Doha, Qatar: Bahrain forward Mahdi Al Humaidan has described the upcoming FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, scheduled from December 1 to 18, as a crucial opportunity for his national team to bounce back after failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Speaking to FIFA, the 32-year-old said the tournament offers Bahrain a platform to showcase their quality on the regional stage.
“The Arab Cup is a really important competition for us,” Al Humaidan said.
“We didn’t qualify to the World Cup, so it gives us a chance to show what we can do.”
Before reaching the group stage, Bahrain must win a one-off qualifier against Djibouti in November, also to be held in Qatar. The winner will join defending champions Algeria, Iraq and either Lebanon or Sudan in the group stage.
Al Humaidan, currently with Iraqi giants Al Zawraa, praised the level of competition expected in the tournament.
“We saw in the last edition that it was very competitive. Maybe it’s even stronger than the Asian Cup with teams like Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.”
Bahrain exited in the group stage of the previous edition, also held in Qatar in 2021. This time, Al Humaidan believes the squad is better prepared.
“We’ve played together for four or five years. We’re not saying we’ll win the title, but we can definitely go to the latter stages.”
He added that playing in Iraq, where football passion runs high, has helped him improve.
“There’s pressure on every match, but the league is strong and keeps getting better.”
Proud to still represent Bahrain after more than a decade in the national team, Al Humaidan said the country’s competitive edge comes from its people.
“We’re a small country but very ambitious. It’s in our spirit.”
