Preview: Bahrain vs Yemen - prediction, team news, lineups

Bahrain and Yemen will square off in their final Gulf Cup group game on Wednesday at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium.

Both sides have lost their opening two matches and are already out of the competition, but they will look to salvage some pride when they meet in their final game.

Match preview

Bahrain have failed to make an impact in the tournament, losing both of their matches and conceding five goals in the process.

They suffered a 2-0 defeat to Qatar in their opening game, prompting Bahrain to lodge a strong protest, although the Gulf Football's disciplinary committee subsequently rejected the appeal.

Assim Madibo featured for Qatar in that match despite having been handed a five-match suspension for a violent challenge on Canada's Ismael Kone during the 2026 World Cup.

Bahrain were thoroughly outplayed by the UAE in their second game, suffering a 3-0 defeat after conceding in each half.

The result means Dragan Talajic's side have now won just once in their last six matches, losing five, and they will be desperate to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat.

Yemen will be extremely disappointed with their early exit from the Gulf Cup after making a strong start to the AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign, where they currently lead their group.

Noureddine Ould Ali, the Yemen head coach, was particularly frustrated by his side's narrow 1-0 defeat to Qatar in their previous game.

Ali suggested that his players gave everything on the pitch and tried to put pressure on their opponents, but a second-half goal from Yusuf Abdurisag ultimately made the difference.

Yemen were thoroughly outplayed by the UAE in their opening game, suffering a 4-0 defeat after conceding three goals in the first half alone.

The two sides last met in 2024, when Yemen secured a 2-1 victory over Bahrain in the Gulf Cup, but whether they have the motivation and energy to produce a similar result this time remains a major question.

Bahrain form (all competitions):

LLWLLL

Yemen form (all competitions):

WWLWLL

Team News

Abbas Al-Asfor picked up a red card towards the end of the clash against Qatar and remains suspended for the meeting with Yemen.

Apart from that, Talajic is expected to stick with largely the same group of players he has used across the opening two games, although Mohamed Al Romaihi could come into the side in place of Mahdi Abduljabbar.

Yemen head coach Ould Ali admitted after the previous game that his players have been struggling with fatigue and humidity, which has affected their performances.

There could be a few changes in midfield, with Osamah Anbar, Omar Al Dahi and Abdul Majeed Saharan all in contention to return to the starting XI.

Bahrain possible starting lineup:

Lutfalla; Al-Shamsan, Benadi, Hayam, Khulasi; Madan, Al Aswad, Saeed, Marhoon, Al-Humaidan; Romaihi

Yemen possible starting lineup:

Aman, Wasmani, Zubaidi, Rimi, Hubaishi; Golan, Matarai, Anbar, Dahi, Sabarah; Mellor

We say: Bahrain 1-1 Yemen

Both sides are already out of the competition and will be playing for pride, with neither team having found the net in their opening two matches while both have conceded five goals.

There is little to separate Bahrain and Yemen on current form, and with both teams desperate to avoid ending their campaign empty-handed, we expect them to settle for a share of the spoils.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.