Bahrain

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Bahrain reached their third successive AFC Asian Cup finals by finishing runners-up in Group A to Japan, who have become regular adversaries of the Gulf nation in recent years with the two having played each other six times in continental and World Cup qualifying campaigns since 2008.
After a 3-1 win in Hong Kong, Milan Macala’s side took the initiative over Japan with a slender 1-0 victory in Manama but Bahrain’s strength in depth was called into question when a side devoid of a number of key players were comprehensively beaten by Yemen.

Bahrain followed up that 3-0 loss in Sana’a with an emphatic 4-0 victory over their Gulf Cup rivals that ensured qualification to Qatar 2011 but they missed out topping the group after going down 2-0 to Japan.