PREVIEW-Soccer-No time for Bahrain to dwell on World Cup failure

By Patrick Johnston

SINGAPORE, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Bahrain have little time to dwell on the heartache of their World Cup playoff defeat to New Zealand at the weekend as they return home to host Yemen in a 2011 Asian Cup qualifier on Wednesday.

Bahrain coach Milan Macala successfully requested the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) move the match to Wednesday, an official FIFA fixture date, from the original in January in order to have a full squad available.

However, the Czech faces the task of lifting a squad who suffered a 1-0 aggregate defeat in their World Cup playoff in Wellington on Saturday, the second successive campaign they have missed out at that stage.

Bahrain, second in Group A on six points, are three clear of third place Yemen after two matches.

In the other Group A match, leaders Japan will be confident of victory against bottom side Hong Kong.

Espanyol midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura is expected to play for Japan after coming on as a second half substitute in their 0-0 friendly draw with South Africa on Saturday.

"I didn't play many minutes (against South Africa)... but some good things happened," Nakamura told reporters.

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