BAHRAIN play Togo in an international friendly soccer match on November 6.
Togo replace Rwanda as the national team's opponents for the home tie, following the Rwandans' sudden withdrawal from original arrangements.
National team administrator Abdulrazzaq Mohammed confirmed the new fixture last night with the GDN.
Mohammed said Rwanda had a change in plans and therefore could not fulfil their commitment of travelling to Bahrain for the tune-up game. The friendly is part of the national team's preparations for their do-or-die Fifa World Cup qualifier against New Zealand on November 14.
Togo sent an official letter received by the Bahrain Football Association (BFA) on Sunday night, confirming that they will play the friendly at the National Stadium in Riffa.
"Our plans to play a friendly will go ahead, but with a different opponent," Mohammed told the GDN. "Rwanda changed their mind, and we have to accept their decision. Togo are happy to replace them, and we are looking forward to a positive match for both our national team and theirs."
Togo are a more formidable opponent for Bahrain, being ranked more than 30 spots higher than Rwanda on the Fifa World Rankings. In the latest edition of the global classification, the Togolese are tied-80th with Uzbekistan, who Bahrain had played and beaten in earlier rounds of World Cup qualifying, while the Rwandans are 114th.
Both Togo and Rwanda are out of the running for a berth at the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals in South Africa.
Mohammed returned to Bahrain yesterday after accompanying BFA vice-presidents Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa and Ahmed Al Noaimi on a trip over the past few days to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. They had visited the clubs of Bahrain's foreign-based professionals, and held discussions with each club's directors about the possibility of early releases for their Bahraini players.
The national team starts training on November 1 under Czech coach Milan Macala, and the presence of all their overseas stars will be vital.
"We had very good discussions; they all promised to help us the best way they can," Mohammed said.
"We had asked for our players to be released before our friendly match on November 6 so that we can field a team that will have at least most of our professionals. The clubs told us that they would speak to their coaches about their upcoming programmes, because all the teams are currently in the middle of their national leagues, and they will get back to us soon."
Bahrain's professional players plying their trade abroad include Mohammed Salmeen and Hussain Baba in the UAE; and Sayed Mohammed Adnan, Salman Issa, Faouzi Aaish and Mohammed Hussein in Qatar.
Meanwhile, the BFA is also currently trying to negotiate the early release for Belgian-based striker Jaycee John as well as Switzerland-based players Abdulla Omar and Abdulla Fatai. "We are trying hard for this," Mohammed explained. "It is very much possible that we will not have them for our friendly because they have league matches on November 7 and 9. But we are doing what we can, and we will have to wait and see."
Following their November 6 tie with Togo, the members of the national team are scheduled to fly the next day to Sydney, where they will hold a training camp until November 12 when they will then travel to New Zealand capital Wellington for the return match.
The Bahrainis and Kiwis had played to a goalless stalemate in the first leg earlier this month. Bahrain will need at least a draw with goals to qualify for their first-ever Fifa World Cup finals. Another goalless draw will send the match into extra-time and possibly a penalty shootout, while a loss by any margin will shatter their World Cup hopes.
