Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Adnan Hamad has been released from his position as head coach of the Bahrain national team following the kingdom’s disappointing start to the 2014 Gulf Cup of Nations, the BFA (Bahrain Football Association) has announced.
The BFA dispensed with the services of the 2004 AFC Coach of the Year after a 3-0 loss to hosts Saudi Arabia and a goalless draw with Yemen – the only team taking part in the Gulf Cup not to have qualified to the next year’s AFC Asian Cup – put Bahrain in danger of elimination from the regional event at the group stage.
Hamad’s assistant Marjan Eid will take charge of the side with Bahrain needing to defeat Qatar in their final Group A encounter to advance to the knockout stage of the Gulf Cup.
"The Bahrain Football Association held an urgent meeting ... to discuss the Bahraini national team's poor performance and negative results in the Gulf Cup," the BFA said in statement.
"The Bahrain Football Association has released the national team's coach Adnan Hamad and assigned national assistant coach Marjan Eid to lead the team for the rest of the tournament."
The decision to sack Hamad sees Bahrain looking for a new head coach with less than two months to go before they kick-off their 2015 AFC Asian Cup campaign against three-time continental champions Iran in Melbourne.
The experienced Hamad had been expected to be at the helm of Bahrain’s Asian Cup campaign after the Iraqi signed a two-year contract in July to replace Anthony Hudson, following the Englishman’s shock decision to quit the team and take over as manager of New Zealand.
Photo: AFP