Hosts Saudi Arabia and Kuwait kick off their Gulf Cup (Khaleeji 27) participation today at Al-Inmaa Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah. The Group A fixtures open with a high-stakes clash between Iraq and Oman.
اضافة اعلان
Kuwait holds the record for the most Gulf Cup titles with ten, though they have been waiting for a trophy since "Khaleeji 20" in Yemen in 2010, when they defeated Saudi Arabia in the final thanks to an extra-time goal by Waleed Ali.
The Saudi roster saw a last-minute change as midfielder Musab Al-Juwayr was excluded due to disciplinary reasons, with Mukhtar Ali called up as his replacement. Several key players from previous campaigns are missing, notably captain and Al-Hilal star Salem Al-Dawsari due to injury.
Kuwait arrives in Jeddah following a training camp in Doha, where they played two friendly matches against Lusail SC and the Yemen national team.
Preparations coincided with several players competing for Kuwait SC in Asian club tournaments before the squad fully assembled for the final stage of camp, where Portuguese manager Hélio Sousa worked to build team cohesion.
Iraq vs. Oman
Iraq opens its 18th Gulf Cup campaign in a high-profile fixture against Oman at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah.
The 63-year-old Australian manager decided to retain forward Aymen Hussein (Pakhtakor Tashkent) as team captain for the Gulf campaign. Arnold aims to establish a settled lineup in preparation for the upcoming Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia early next year, prioritizing a strong opening result to boost momentum.
Iraq and Oman have met 12 times in Gulf Cup history: Iraq has won five, Oman has won two, and four matches ended in draws.
