By Abdelaziz Abuhamar
January 5 – The 2019 Asian Cup opener today between the host nation UAE and Bahrain will be only the second encounter between the two national teams in this competition. The first was in the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia. UAE won 2-1.
UAE features in the Asian Cup for the 10th time while Bahrain is posting its 6th appearance in the Asian continental showpiece finals.
The meeting is in fact the 28thinternational encounter between the two countries; UAE have won 14 times, Bahrain 9 times, with four matches having been drawn.
Traditional the opening matches in the competition have been poor for both countries. The UAE in their last 9 openers lost 4, drew 4 and were only able to win once, in their 2015 Asian Cup opener in Australia against Qatar. UAE won 4-1.
As for Bahrain, the reds are yet to find a winning start in the Asian Cup having lost 3 times and drawn twice in their previous 5 opening games.
The two teams are meeting for the first time in over two years. Their last encounter, an international friendly in November 2016, saw UAE winning 2-0 at the Hazza bin Zayed stadium.
UAE have won the last five encounters over Bahrain with the reds now looking for their first win over UAE for more than ten years. Bahrain’s last victory over the UAE was also in an international friendly, 3-2 in August 2008 in Abu Dhabi.
Head to Head games
19/11/2016 UAE 2- 0 Bahrain International Friendly
15/1/2015 Bahrain 1 – 2 UAE Asian Cup
8/1/2013 Bahrain 1 – 2 UAE Gulf Cup
16/10/2012 Bahrain 2 – 6 UAE International Friendly
29/11/2010 UAE 3 – 1 Bahrain Gulf Cup
29/8/2008 UAE 2- 3 Bahrain International Friendly
27/6/2007 Bahrain 2 – 2 UAE International Friendly
31/5/2004 UAE 2- 3 Bahrain International Friendly
7/1/2004 UAE 1- 3 Bahrain Gulf Cup
27/9/2003 UAE 1- 4 Bahrain International Friendly
27/1/2002 Bahrain 2 – 1 UAE Gulf Cup
30/10/1998 UAE 1- 0 Bahrain Gulf Cup
19/4/1997 UAE 3 – 0 Bahrain World Cup qualifier
11/4/1997 Bahrain 1 – 2 UAE World Cup qualifier
18/10/1996 Bahrain 1 – 1 UAE Gulf Cup
12/11/1994 UAE 0-0 Bahrain Gulf Cup
4/12/1992 UAE 2-0 Bahrain Gulf Cup
30/5/1992 UAE 3 – 1 Bahrain Asian Cup qualifier
5/3/1990 Bahrain 1 – 0 UAE Gulf Cup
3/3/1988 UAE 2 – 0 Bahrain Gulf Cup
5/4/1986 UAE 3 – 1 Bahrain Gulf Cup
18/3/1984 Bahrain 1 – 1 UAE Gulf Cup
27/3/1982 Bahrain 3 –2 UAE Gulf Cup
27/3/1979 Bahrain 3 –0 UAE Gulf Cup
6/1/1979 UAE 2 – 0 Bahrain Asian Cup qualifier
27/3/1976 Bahrain 3 -2 UAE Gulf Cup
18/3/1974 UAE 4-1 Bahrain Gulf Cup
