Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to attend the opening of the 27th Gulf Cup

Under the patronage of His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the 27th edition of the Gulf Arab Cup (Khaleeji 27) kicks off today in Jeddah. The Kingdom will host the tournament until October 6.

This is the first time in the tournament’s history that it is being held in Jeddah. The first group features Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Oman, while the second group comprises Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Yemen.

Kuwait’s national team will begin its campaign with a “Gulf Derby” against Saudi Arabia in the first round of Group 1 at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, the venue for the tournament.

Kuwait aims to secure a positive result in its opening match against the “Green Falcons” to bolster its chances of advancing to the semifinals and ultimately competing for the title, which has eluded them since Khaleeji 20 in Yemen in late 2010. That victory marked their tenth title, a record in the tournament’s history.

The national team has prepared exceptionally well, beginning its camp on the seventh of this month. It then held a 10-day external training camp in Doha, Qatar, where it defeated Qatari club Lusail 2-1 in a friendly. Kuwait arrived in Jeddah last Wednesday and lost 1-2 to Yemen on Friday.

Kuwait’s Portuguese coach, Hélio Sousa, has maintained stability in the squad for Khaleeji 27, making no changes to the roster.

Saud Al-Houshan is expected to start in goal for Kuwait today. The defensive line is set to include Raed Al-Dosari, Fahad Al-Hajri, Yousef Al-Haqan, and Muath Al-Zafiri. In midfield, the team will feature Rida Hani, Jasim Al-Mutairi, and Ahmed Al-Zafiri, while the forward line will consist of Shibib Al-Khalidi, Yousef Majed, and Mohammed Daham.

On the other side, the Saudi national team is considered one of the favorites to win Khaleeji 27, as it will be supported by its home crowd.

Saudi Arabia enters the Gulf Cup without having played any friendly matches. Its Greek coach, Georgios Donis, has relied solely on training sessions due to the heavy schedule of Saudi club matches both domestically and abroad.

Key players in Saudi Arabia’s lineup include goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais, as well as Hassan Al-Tambakti, Abdulaziz Al-Omari, Mutab Al-Harbi, Mohammed Kano, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Firas Al-Brikan, and Abdullah Al-Hamdan.

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have previously met 22 times in Gulf Cup tournaments. Kuwait holds the edge with 10 wins, compared to five for Saudi Arabia, with seven matches ending in draws.

Kuwait to wear red

The organizing committee has informed Kuwait’s national team management that it will wear red in today’s match against Saudi Arabia, which will play in its traditional green kit.

In the same group, Oman will face Iraq today at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah.