A frustrating night on the Gold Coast saw Australia fall to a 1-0 defeat to Bahrain in the first match of Round Three in their FIFA World Cup 2026™qualifying campaign.

In a game which saw few clear cut chances for either side, a cruel deflection off Harry Souttar in the 89th minute proved the difference, with Bahrain claiming the three points at Robina Stadium.

In a cagey first half where goal-scoring chances were few and far between, Australia were in control of the game with 70% possession and 280 passes, but ultimately struggled to break down a resolute Bahrain defence.

In just the second minute, Alessandro Circati’s deflected strike from distance tested Ebrahim Lutfallah, with the Bahrain goalkeeper tipping the ball over for a corner.

Circati was a standout performer throughout the game, demonstrating his composure and quality on the ball in an accomplished performance at right-back.

In the opening 45, Graham Arnold’s side created a couple of half chances from set pieces with Aiden O’Neill volleying over from a Craig Goodwin cross in the 33rd minute, while Goodwin was again the provider in the 35th minute, this time for Harry Souttar, whose header was well blocked.

Goodwin later went on to create the best opportunity in the half, after some excellent work down the left flank, firing the ball across goal to Kusini Yengi who couldn’t quite convert with the ball bouncing off his knee and wide of the post.

Bahrain’s only attempt in the opening 45 came from 30 yards out in the 25th minute, with a tame effort comfortably saved by captain Maty Ryan.

The second half was also a tight and tense affair with few opportunities for either side. Nestory Irankunda replaced Martin Boyle in the 58th minute and was a constant menace for Bahrain left-back Abdulla Al Khalassy, who saw yellow in the 63rd minute after hauling down the 18-year-old.

Irankunda’s speed and trickery, along with Circati’s class on the ball, proved a threatening combination down Australia’s right flank.

The game took a turn in the 77th minute when, after a collision with Bahrain centre-back Sayed Baqer, Yengi was shown a straight red for a high boot.

Despite being a man down, Graham Arnold sent on Awer Mabil in an attacking move, for his first Australia appearance since October 2023, replacing midfielder Connor Metcalfe.

But then in the 89th minute and against the run of play, Abdulla Al Khalassy’s cross took a cruel deflection off Harry Souttar and squeezed in agonisingly at Mat Ryan’s near post to give Bahrain a shock lead.

There was still time for a late barrage of pressure from Australia, with Awer Mabil delivering an excellent free-kick in the 96th minute which Mitch Duke couldn’t convert, seeing his header sail wide of the far post.

The Socceroos will look to bounce back immediately when they travel to Jakarta to face Indonesia this coming Tuesday 10 September.

Match Details

Australia: 0
Bahrain: 1 (Souttar OG 89’)
Date: Thursday, 5 September 2024
Venue: Robina Stadium, Gold Coast
Attendance: 24,644

Australia line-up: 1. (C) Maty Ryan (GK), 13. Alessandro Circati, 19. Harry Souttar, 4. Kye Rowles, 16. Aziz Behich, 22. Jackson Irvine, 5. Aiden O’Neill, 8. Connor Metcalfe (Mabil 82’), 6. Martin Boyle (Irankunda 58’), 11. Kusini Yengi, 23. Craig Goodwin (Duke 72’)

Unused substitutes: 2. Thomas Deng, 7. Sammy Silvera, 9. Adam Taggart, 12. Paul Izzo, 14. Cammy Devlin, 17. Josh Nisbet, 18. Joe Gauci (GK), 21. Cam Burgess

Yellow cards: Kye Rowles (58’), Circati (68’), Souttar (72’)

Red cards: Yengi (78’)

Bahrain line-up: 22. Ebrahim Lutfallah (GK), 16. Sayed Baqer (Al Hayam 88’), 2. Amine Benaddi, 23. Abdulla Al Khalassy, 17. Vincent Ani Emmanuel, 14. Ali Haram, 19. Komail Al Aswad, 8. Mohamed Marhoon (Al Humaidan 83’), 4. Abbas Al Asfoor, 7. Ali Madan (Al Khatal 67’), 12. Mahdi Abduljabbar (Abdulkarim 67’)

Substitutes not used: 5. Hamad Al Shamsan, 21. Sayed Jaafar, 1. Ammar Ahmed, 13. Moses Atede, 15. Jassim Al Shaikh, 18. Hazaa Ali, 6. Ahmed Nabeel, 10. Abdulwahab Al Malood

Yellow cards: Abdulla Al Khalassy 63’, Al Asfoor 86’

Red cards: N/A

Next Match

Indonesia v Australia
Tuesday 10 September 2024 
Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta
Kick-off: 7.00pm local / 10.00pm AEST
Broadcast: Paramount+