Dec. 28, 2014, 11:08 p.m.

A FIRE truck raced past a group of travel-weary international soccer players as they trotted around an immaculate Morshead Park Stadium on Sunday.

Welcome: Members of Bahrains national soccer team limber up before their first training session at Ballarats Morshead Park on Sunday in preparation for the Asian Cup 2015. PICTURE: KATE HEALY

In control: Goalkeeper Ashraf Waheed keeps his eyes on the ball during Sundays training session.

No distractions: Team manager Muhanned Al Ansari.

A FIRE truck raced past a group of travel-weary international soccer players as they trotted around an immaculate Morshead Park Stadium on Sunday.

Welcome to Ballarat, Bahrain.

The group began its preparations for the Asian Cup 2015 in a low-key fashion after arriving in Melbourne in the early hours of Sunday.

Team manager Muhannad Al Ansari was suitably impressed with the facilities and the surrounds, saying the pitch was better than some surfaces the team had practised on at home.

The team will call Ballarat home until two days before the tournament starts on January 9, and, after a bit of encouragement from mayor John Philips, Mr Al Ansari said the players and staff planned to soak up all Ballarat had to offer apart from the soccer.

Excerpt from:

Red-hot soccer welcome