“Everything happened very quickly, no one was prepared for this.” This is football coach Nandinho, who in conversation with DN from Bahrain, where he has led Al-Muharraq since January 2025, told what it has been like to live in an area of tension since Saturday, in the wake of the US and Israel attack on Iran and the consequent responses from the Iranian regime.
Living about 10 kilometers from a United States air base, dedicated to naval support, Nandinho reveals that he has been through moments of great tension. “I’m living on an artificial island, next to Bahrain airport, and about 10 kilometers from an American base, where a building where American military personnel lived was already hit, as well as a hotel in the city center, where I was told there were many Americans”explains the 52-year-old coach, who in his football days defended Salgueiros, Benfica, V. Guimarães and Gil Vicente, among others. “From where I am I can see the black smoke when there is a target that the Iranians hit”reveals.
Nandinho also says that “the Bahraini army has shot down most of the Iranian missiles and drones”, but fear is always present: “In principle, the targets are the strategic points of the United States, but the problem is if for some reason there is a missile that misses the target.”
The last days of this coach, who led Al-Muharraq to the title of champion that they hadn’t won in seven years, have been constant shocks. “Halfway around, the sirens start to ring and there we have to take refuge in safe places. In my building, I have to go down to the garages, which are just below the ground floor. It’s not an easy situation”says Nandinho, who still continues training the team, despite the championship being interrupted due to the war.
As far as possible, it is necessary to maintain some normality, and this is what he has observed: “On the island where I live there are many hotels and, of course, tourists, but still there is no panic. People try to live as normally as possible, despite the recommendation for people to stay at home, I see a lot of people shopping.”
Nandinho is without his family in Bahrain – with the company of assistants Rui Valente and Rafael Rocha -, and the The main problem has been conveying peace of mind to family and friends who are in Portugal. “It’s very difficult to get them to stay calm,” he admits, then looks at the problems he has in his team, where Most foreign players “live with their families, many with young children”a situation that he admits is difficult to manage.
Returning to Portugal is something that is on the horizon, although at this point he hopes to have a decision “in the next 24 to 48 hours”. “Bahrain’s airspace is closed, so to leave we have to go by car: one hour to the border with Saudi Arabia and then another four hours to Riyadh to catch the plane, but the problem is that the airlines are canceling connections”, he says, revealing that he is currently awaiting authorization from the club’s board of directors to return home.
When in September 2023, Nandinho accepted the challenge of coaching Bahrain’s Al-Ahli and led them to win the King’s Cup, he knew perfectly well that “despite indications that this was a safe country”, there was always the possibility of problems due to the proximity of a US base. Now, despite constantly hearing sirens warning of Iranian missiles and drones, he says he feels “minimally safe”, but there is a catch: “The fear is that this conflict will take on other proportions.”
Leave a Reply