Saudi Arabia will host the eight-team Arabian Gulf Cup from Wednesday as conflict continues across the Middle East, with the hosts looking to recover from a disappointing World Cup campaign.
Yemen is the only team among the eight that has never won the title in the tournament’s 26 previous editions. It will open its campaign against the United Arab Emirates in Jeddah on Thursday, only days after Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they had targeted the Saudi capital with missiles.
The attack was the first on Riyadh since an escalation in fighting with the Tehran-backed rebels opened a new front in the Iran war.
On the football field, much of the pressure will be on Saudi Arabia, which was eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup after failing to win any of its matches.
Coach Giorgios Donis remains in charge, but preparations for the tournament have been overshadowed by Saturday’s announcement that star midfielder Musab Al-Juwayr had been left out of the squad.
“Musab Al-Juwayr is one of the most promising talents, but we have regulations and rules, and the player violated them and was punished,” Fahad Al-Mufarrij, executive director of the national team, told reporters.
Al-Mufarrij dismissed reports that the midfielder had been dropped for ordering food from an outside restaurant while staying at the team hotel.
“It is unreasonable to exclude a player because of a meal; this is not true,” he said.
Al-Juwayr has apologised for his actions.
Saudi Arabia will begin its campaign against Kuwait on Wednesday, while Iraq faces Oman in the other Group A match.
Australian coach Graham Arnold signed an extension with Iraq last month despite the team losing all three of its World Cup matches.
“I want the players to go to the Gulf Cup believing they can win it,” Arnold said. “It is a great opportunity to make your country proud.”
In Group B, Qatar will also seek to recover from a disappointing World Cup, where it failed to win a match and was eliminated early.
Julen Lopetegui has remained as Qatar’s coach and will face defending champion Bahrain in the tournament.
The top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals, while the final will be held in Jeddah on 6 Oct.
The tournament will also serve as preparation for the 2027 Asian Cup, which Saudi Arabia will host beginning in January.
Source: https://www.tbsnews.net/sports/arabian-gulf-cup-begins-wednesday-amid-middle-east-conflict-1550056
