Football: Bahrain confident ahead of Australia encounter

Bahrain's hopes of qualifying for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals received a major boost on Tuesday.

The side defeated Turkmenistan 2-0 in their Group E opener in Kuala Lumpur, with goals from Abdulla Yusuf Helal and Mohamed Al Romaihi.

The victory means Bahrain are now top of the group, ahead of Australia, who they face in their next match on Saturday.

Speaking after the game, Bahrain coach Helio Sousa said he was delighted with his team's performance.

"We played very well tonight and deserved to win," he said.

"We created a lot of chances and could have scored more goals."

Bahrain will now be confident of beating Australia and booking their place in the Asian Cup finals.

The Socceroos have a strong team, but Bahrain have shown that they are capable of beating anyone on their day.

The match between Bahrain and Australia will be played at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Malaysia, on Saturday, June 11.

The winner of the match will qualify for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals, which will be held in China.

Here are some additional details about the match:

• The match will be played at 8pm local time.
• Tickets for the match are on sale now.
• The match will be broadcast live on beIN Sports.