Arabian Gulf Cup 2024

It gets very little coverage outside of the region but the Arabian Gulf Cup certainly gets the local fans excited.

This, the 26th edition, was staged in two stadiums within easy reach of Kuwait City.

The hosts, who were also the record title (10) holders, were joined by seven other countries; Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, and the current holders, Iraq.

They are divided into two groups of four with the top two automatically going through to the semi-finals.

Based on FIFA rankings Qatar would be favoured to win, but it didn’t turn out that way.

As they would exit at the group stage after a dramatic encounter with the hosts.

Being held from late December to early January this tournament had the benefit, for your correspondent, of virtually perfect weather.

With temperatures around 18 degrees, and of course, no rain.

Group A.

Featured the hosts, Kuwait, Oman, UAE, and Qatar.

And against the odds it was the lower ranked teams who progressed after Oman beat Qatar ,drew with Kuwait, and then finally with UAE.

While the hosts battled back to overcome UAE before playing Qatar in front of 58,000 fans in the International Stadium.

Anybody at this game would testify to the intensity of the local support especially during a dramatic second period.

Mohammad Daham twice hit the post for the home side before driving a free kick into the net from the edge of the area to send the crowd into raptures.

It left the Qataris with fifteen minutes or so to turn it around.

As in their previous game they pushed Muntari up with main striker Ali and delivered numerous crosses, often by the highly rated Afif.

But to no avail as Kuwait, with goalie Al-Rashidi usually in control, kept them at bay.

Until the eleventh minute of added time when Muntari finally headed in for 1-1.

Though that quietened the crowd it was not enough (although the match ended with late  appeals from Qatar for a penalty) and the hosts had done enough to go through.

Group B.

Comprised Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, and the holders, Iraq.

Bahrain, coached by Croatian Dragan Tarajic, secured their passage into the last four with solid victories over Saudi Arabia and Iraq before losing a dead rubber against the already eliminated Yemenis.   

But the key contest of the group, watched by over 50,000 fans, was the encounter between Iraq and the Saudis.

Herve Renard’s team went into this having just about beaten Yemen after that fractious match ended 3-2 when substitute Abdullah Al-Hamdan netted the winner late in added time.

Al-Hamdan would prove the key man, again, when he delivered a fine left foot strike past Jalal Hassan to put the Saudis ahead some ten minutes before the end of the game.

The Al-Hilal striker then added another from a breakaway with Iraq pressing hard for a leveller.

That was much celebrated among their substantial support and all the squad.

It meant the holders were out and the highly rated Green Falcons would meet Oman in the last four.

Afterwards Renard praised his team’s efficiency, particularly in the second half, although acknowledging they were still ‘a work in progress’.

That thought would come to mind as they would subsequently lose 2-1 to Oman in the semis.

While the Kuwaiti hosts would also go out, losing by a single goal to Bahrain before their disappointed fans.

Which meant the final pitched Oman against Bahrain.

And although Abdulrahman Al-Mushaifri gave the Reds the lead Dragan Talajc’s side fought back to win 2-1 via a late own goal.

Apart from that blip against Yemen, the team ranked 81 in the world had beaten both the holders and higher rated teams to deservedly take their second Gulf Cup crown.

Bahrain now would have to switch focus to battling to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals, in which they face another meeting with Saudi Arabia.

Who knows, after a couple of past playoff defeats but now with the momentum behind them perhaps they could make it to their first WC finals?

Report from Kuwait - John Bethell

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