BAHRAIN's national soccer team kicked off their final preparations before heading for Wellington for the second and deciding leg of the 2010 World Cup inter-confederation match against New Zealand on November 14.
The team, under their 66-year-old Czech Republic tactician Milan Macala, is having daily training sessions until Saturday when the squad leaves for Sydney for a five-day camp before heading for Wellington.
Macala's boys dominated the first-leg encounter held at the Bahrain National Stadium in Riffa on October 10 but were unable to turn their superiority into goals.
"We didn't have our expected form in the first-half but things improved in the second period and the performance was better. We had a lot of scoring chances but we could not convert them to goals," said the Czech coach.
"We have enough time before the second leg and we will prepare well for the game. We wanted to have a good result tonight to have a good advantage before the second leg but this didn't happen and hopefully we can qualify in the return leg.
"We must go into the second leg with better preparations in order to achieve the positive result which will lead us to South Africa," added Macala.
Bahrain had their first practice session last Sunday with 15 of their local-based players, including four who were included for the first time - Abdulla Al Dekheel, Abbas Ayyad, Jamal Rashid and Dawood Saad.
UAE's Al Shabab Club defender Hussain Baba is also available at the training after he was recently released by his club. Among those who are presently practising with the team are Sayed Mohammed Jaffer, Abdulla Al Ka'abi, Ebrahim Al Meshkhas, Mahmood Jalal, Mahmood Abdulrahman and Abdulla Al Dekheel of league champions Muharraq.
Others include Abbas Ahmed, Mohammed Hubail, Abbas Ayyad and Jamal Rashid of Al Ahli, Riffa trio - Hussain Salman, Dawood Saad and Ismail Abdullatif, Ahmed Hassan of Manama and Busaiteen's Abdulwahab Ali.
However, Macala is expected to have his overseas players soon to join the team training before travelling to Sydney on Saturday for a five-day camp, They will then take the trip to Wellington.
Bahrain have eight players based outside the kingdom, including Qatar Stars League defenders Sayed Mohammed Adnan of Al Khor, Faouzi Aaish of Al Siliya, Al Arabi's Salman Isa, and Mohammed Hussain of Umm Salal.
Hussain, who is presently recovering in Bahrain from a knee injury which he sustained during his club's Asian Champions League semi-final match against Pohang Steelers of South Korea played last week in Doha, will join the squad training once his treatment is finished.
The remaining professionals are midfielder and skipper Mohammed Salmeen of UAE's Al Dhafra Club, midfielders Abdulla Omar and Abdulla Fatai of Switzerland's Neuchatel Xamax and Belgium's Mouscron striker Jaycee John.
Meanwhile, the Bahrain Football Association (BFA) received a letter from the Togolese Federation announcing the day that its national soccer team will arrive for the friendly match with Bahrain on Friday.
The African team are due to reach the island on Thursday, just 24 hours before the tune-up match.
The BFA was originally trying to arrange a friendly against Rwanda on the same date but the Africans pulled out a few days ago and Togo were named as replacements.
The match will be part of Togo's preparations to host their last game in Group 'A' in the World Cup qualifying competition against Gabon on November 14.
