Bahrain 2-2 Australia: World Cup 2026 qualifying – as it happened

Match report: Bahrain 2-2 Australia

Tony Popovic’s reaction

The state of play in Group C

1. Japan P6 Pts 16

2. Australia P6 Pts 6 (GD +1)

3. Indonesia P6 Pts 6 (GD -3)

4. Saudi Arabia P6 Pts 6 (GD -3)

5. Bahrain P5 Pts 5 (GD -5)

6. China P6 Pts 6 (GD -10)

Australia won the game, lost it and finally drew it when Kusini Yengi equalised in the 96th minute. He’d put them ahead after 38 seconds of the first half, and for the first three quarters of the game Australia looked completely untroubled.

Bahrain started to threaten and equalised in extraordinary circumstances when the substitute Mahdi Abduljabbar curled extravagantly over the head of Maty Ryan from 45 yards.

Abduljabbar scored again two minutes later after the otherwise flawless debutant Hayden Matthews headed against his own post, and Australia were facing another defeat to Bahrain until Yengi forced in his second goal.

Full time: Bahrain 2-2 Australia

90+11 min There should be at least two more minutes of added time because of that VAR check. A winning goal now for either team would be a thing of euphoria.

90+9 min The Bahrain manager is booked for opening his face and letting words spill out.

Including added time, there were 98 minutes between Yengi’s goals (even if the first should really be credited as an own-goal).

90+8 min: Goal given!

There’s a VAR check! I think it’s to see whether the ball hit Borello’s hand as he fought for that header at the far post.

Bahrain’s players look shattered. O’Neill flipped a deep cross from the left towards Borello. His header hit the back of a Bahrain and ran loose on the six-yard line. Yengi reacted quickest to drive the ball past Lutfallah, who then wanted a fight when Borello tried to grab the ball from the net.

GOAL! Bahrain 2-2 Australia (Yengi 90+6)

90+3 min Lutfallah, who looks like quite the character, barrels out of his area to head a long ball forward out of play.

90+3 min: Chance for Australia! Geria breaks down the right and guides a careful low cross towards Hrustic on the edge of the area. His shot is slightly mishit and too close to Lutfallah, who pushes it away. A decent chance rather than a great one.

90+1 min All those injuries mean there will be 10 minutes of added time.

90 min They’re bringing on a stretcher for Baqer, so I’ll shut my mouth. I’m pretty sure it’s just cramp. He’s replaced by Vincent Ani Emmanuel, and Ahmed Nabeel comes on for Mohamed Marhoon.

89 min Sayed Baqer goes down with cramp, the same Sayed Baqer who waged war on timewasting when Bahrain were 1-0 down.

88 min Play resumes with both men okay to continue.

86 min Souttar’s not in a good way either actually. Both players are conscious and still receiving treatment.

84 min There’s a nasty clash of heads between Souttar and Benaddi at an Australia corner, and you can imagine who came off worse. There’s a bit of concern from the Bahrain players, and replays show why: Benaddi got to the ball a split-second before Souttar and took a horrible whack.

83 min A defeat wouldn’t be the end of Australia’s hopes – far from it – but it would leave them in an unimaginably vulnerable position. And, crucially, it would be another huge blow to their morale.

82 min Ten minutes ago Bahrain were bottom of the group; as it stands they’re now second and in an automatic qualification spot.

81 min: Australia substitution Brandon Borello is on for Riley McGree.

79 min Poor Hayden Matthews. He’s made such a composed debut but that one split-second misjudgement, to go for the header rather than leave it for those behind him, may have cost Australia the game.

This is an astonishing twist in a game that Australia controlled for the first 70 minutes. Al Humaidan’s awkward inswinging cross from the left brushed the head of the leaping Matthews, looped over the diving Ryan and hit the inside of the far post. It deflected back onto the body of Ryan, who had just hit the turf, and fell perfectly for Abduljabbar to score with the purest glee. Amazing.

GOAL! Bahrain 2-1 Australia (Abduljabbar 77)

A routine ball forward was miscontrolled by Burgess and bounced towards Abduljabbar, 45 yards from goal. With Ryan in the libero position, aka no man’s land, Abduljabbar curled a glorious first-time shot over his head and into the net!

GOAL! Bahrain 1-1 Australia (Abduljabbar 75)

75 min McGree goes down after an accidental collision and needs treatment. Sayed Baqer, probably still haunted by his error for the goal, thinks McGree is timewasting and gives the referee a spectacular mouthful. He’s booked.

73 min Bahrain win a free-kick 40 yards from goal on the right wing. It’s curled in towards Mohammed Marhoon, whose clever backheader goes only a couple of yards wide of the far post. That side, Maty Ryan has his angles right and waved it past the post. A really nice effort though.

71 min Al Humaidan wins a corner on the left for Bahrain. It’s curled deep and headed away by one of the big boys. Please don’t ask me which one because the screen is small and my head is nipping.

70 min This no longer feels quite so comfortable for the Socceroos, whose defending has been more frantic in the last 10 minutes or so. The easiest way to see the game out is to score a second goal quicksmart.

68 min: Double substitution for Australia Jordy Bos and Ajdin Hrustic on, Aziz Behich and Craig Goodwin off.

66 min: Bahrain substitution Ahmed Al Sherooqi and Mahdi Abduljabbar come on for Ali Madan and Ebrahim Al Khatal.

66 min It was Cam Burgess who blocked a shot from Ebrahim Al Khatal, almost certainly saving a goal in the process.

64 min: Chance for Bahrain! At the other end, a close-range shot is blocked desperately in the six-yard box, and no I haven’t a clue which players were involved.

I do know it’s the closest Bahrain have come to scoring so far.

64 min: Great chance for Yengi! From the sublime to the vaguely ridiculous, a really poor touch from Yengi that costs him what would have been a superb chance.

63 min: Double substitution for Australia Aiden O’Neill and Jason Geria replace Jackson Irvine and Lewis Miller, who both look shattered.

62 min Caceres is booked for a tactical foul.

61 min: Yengi hits the post! Australia keep the ball for a long period until McGree whips an early cross into the middle. Yengi, slightly ahead of the ball, improvises brilliantly to shoulder the ball towards goal from about eight yards. Lutfallah doesn’t move and the ball clatteers off the near post.

That would have been an outrageous goal. He didn’t just let the ball hit his shoulder; he really slammed it at goal.

60 min Ryan makes his first save. Well, sort of. Al Aswad’s drive from the edge of the area was blocked at source by the outrushing Caceres (I think) and looped gently into the arms of Ryan.

59 min Bahrain are struggling to create openings, never mind chances, and their frustration is beginning to show.

57 min “I’m glad Rob Haigh brought up Hrustic,” writes Chris Paraskevas. “He’s an interesting one and not exactly your archetypal modern Socceroo: gifted technically and absolutely a match-winner, but a moments player who is frustratingly inconsistent. He offers less industry than the likes of McGree and Irvine but he can pick the lock in situations they can’t. Historically his type of player has not been preferred for Australia. Reminds me a little of Josip Skoko…”

56 min Now Miller wins a corner at the other end. Goodwin curls it in, Lutfallah doesn’t hold it and Bahrain clear.

In fact I thought Lutfallah punched Miller in the eye while going for the ball. Penalties have been given for less.

Then, when Miller eventually gets to his feet, Lutfallah shoves him out of the penalty area!

53 min Fine play by Miller, who reads a dangerous pass in behind the defence and gets between Al Humaidan and the ball. The result is an inevitable foul by Al Humaidan.

52 min Now Australia enjoy a decent spell of possession. They’re in no hurry, which is understandable but risky. One of my pet frustrations is seeing a team sit on a 1-0 lead, concede in the 85th minute and then search frantically for a winner. It feels like there much be a better way of managing risk when you’re 1-0 up.

That said, Maty Ryan still has pristine gloves.

48 min Bahrain have started the second half with more urgency, both with and without the ball.

46 min A slip from Miller gives Bahrain a hint of an opening down their left. Al Aswad’s cross doesn’t get past the head of Souttar at the near post.

46 min Peep peep! No additional changes on either side as Bahrain get the second half under way. If it stays like this Australia will have a handy three-point cushion going into the summer break.

“Has it actually been much of a game as a spectacle?” asks Rob Haigh. “Do you feel Oz are having a problem scoring goals?”

No and yes. I don’t mean the first pejoratively – it’s been a strong away performance. Score early, defend in your slippers, keep the ball and try to score a second.

It may come as a shock to hear I’m not a Socceroos expert, but from what I’ve seen they were never going to become the entertainers of world football. That first half performance was gently encouraging, especially the calmness, authority and – important, this – progressive passing of Matthews.

Half-time reading

Half time: Bahrain 0-1 Australia

45+3 min The last man Benaddi comes across to make a challenge on Yengi, who was galloping towards Goodwin’s flick on.

Wales v Iceland – live!

Rob Haigh mentioned this game earlier, and if you’re into non-blogogamy, you can follow the build up with the genius that is Scott Murray.

45 min: Bahrain substitution Mahdi Al Humaidan replaces Ali Haram in midfielder. There will be four minutes of added time.

43 min They’re calling for a stretcher that he must have done some fairly significant damage. He’s lying back, not in obvious pain, so it might be a torn calf or something.

42 min There’s a break in play while Ali Haram receives treatment; I think he jarred his leg.

40 min Miller exchanges passes with Yengi and clips an early ball towards McGree in the area. He tries to help it across goal and it’s deflected behind for another Australia corner. Lutfallah claims it well, as he has two or three times in the first half. Souttar has yet to get his abundant noggin on the ball from a corner.