Qatar clash with the defending champions as the UAE face Yemen

Competitions for the 27th edition of the Gulf Arab Cup continue tomorrow (Thursday) with two matches in the first round of Group Two at venues in Jeddah. In the first fixture, the UAE national team will face Yemen at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, followed by Qatar taking on defending champions Bahrain at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium.

Qatar will begin its campaign with the ambition of a strong start and reclaiming the title, which has been absent from their trophy cabinet since 2014. A fourth title in their history would follow their previous successes in 1992, 2004, and 2014. The team relies on a blend of experience and technical stability under Spanish manager Julen Lopetegui, who has maintained the core structure of the squad that featured in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and finals, while calling up three new players: Hashem Ali, Tahseen Mohammed, and Naif Al-Hadrami. Veteran players remain central to the setup, led by captain Hassan Al-Haydos, Akram Afif, and the all-time top scorer for the Maroon Team, Al-Moez Ali.

Qatar’s participation comes at a different juncture, as the tournament serves as a crucial preparatory stage before the 2027 AFC Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia, where they will enter as defending champions of the 2019 and 2023 editions. Historically, the Maroon Team has played 117 matches, recording 43 wins, 31 draws, and 43 losses.

In contrast, Bahrain enters the match with the goal of defending the title they won in the 26th edition following their 2019 triumph, aiming for their third championship. Their preparations began with a local camp without friendly matches, according to the program set by Croatian coach Dragan Talajić. The team relies on players such as Ibrahim Latif Allah, Walid Al-Hayam, Mahdi Hamidan, Kamil Al-Aswad, and Mahdi Abduljabbar. The Red Team has played 116 matches in their history, with 38 wins, 35 draws, and 43 losses.

The two teams have met in 19 previous matches, with each side winning five encounters and nine ending in draws.

In the other match, the UAE national team, led by Croatian coach Zlatko Dalić and fielding a 26-player squad headlined by Khalid Isa, Fabio Lima, Nicolás Giménez, Sultan Adel, Ousmane Camara, and Ali Saleh, enters the game seeking an ideal start against Yemen. The Yemeni team, guided by Algerian coach Nour Eddine Ould Ali, carries high ambitions after securing qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and reaching the Gulf Cup semifinals for the first time, following a 2-1 friendly victory over Kuwait during their camp in Doha. The UAE has played 117 matches in their history, recording 41 wins, 31 draws, and 42 losses, while Yemen has played 36 matches, winning one, drawing six, and losing 29.

Speaking at yesterday’s press conference, Talajić expressed his happiness at being in Jeddah, which he described as a “city of luck” for him. He congratulated the Saudi people on National Day and expressed his hope to face the Green Team in the tournament final.

Talajić described the current edition as the most challenging, given the participation of three teams that have played in the World Cup. He emphasized that his team is working step by step and that he believes in the capabilities of his players.

He noted that the Gulf Cup represents a “World Cup for the Gulf states” due to its special significance and the rivalry between sister national teams. He added that Bahrain did significant work in the previous edition held in Kuwait and aims to replicate that success in the current tournament.

Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui of the Qatar national football team stated yesterday that his team’s focus is on competing for the “Gulf Cup 27” title, emphasizing that the tournament is a goal in itself and not merely a preparatory stage for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup.

Lopetegui stated during the press conference that the Qatari national team had prepared well for the tournament and looked forward to delivering their best performance against defending champions Bahrain, adding that the players felt energized and enthusiastic about the upcoming match.

Regarding Bahrain’s recent dominance in head-to-head encounters between the two sides, Lopetegui acknowledged that Qatar had won only once in their recent meetings, but emphasized that history belongs to the past. He affirmed that his team is focused on the present and aims to change these statistics.

Zlatko Dalic, coach of the UAE national football team, confirmed his team’s readiness for the match against Yemen, stressing the importance of respecting the opponent and focusing on what the national team can deliver on the pitch.

Speaking at yesterday’s press conference, Dalic noted that the Yemeni team possesses significant skills and speed in transitions, reaffirming that his primary objective is to deliver a top performance to position the team for a win.

He added that respecting the opponent is a fundamental component of success, emphasizing that the team must concentrate on itself and what it can achieve on the field.

Dalic clarified that the technical aspect is a priority for him in this type of tournament, noting that this is his first tournament of this nature with the UAE national team and that he is striving to deliver his best performance and advance to the next round.

He pointed out that playing in such tournaments is not easy for Gulf players due to the short turnaround between matches, underscating the need for physical preparation, development, focus on gameplay, and meeting the challenge.

For his part, UAE player Sultan Adel stated that the team has strong moral motivation and a great drive to deliver their best in the tournament.

Wald Ali, speaking at the press conference held yesterday, ahead of today’s match involving the UAE national team, noted that the Yemeni team had held a training camp in Aden before moving to Jeddah for an extended camp to acclimate to the conditions and prepare early for the tournament.

He explained that the squad includes talents from both diaspora players and the local league, emphasizing that the selection criterion is on-pitch performance, while acknowledging that difficulties are not an excuse for lacking effort and dedication.

Yemeni player Abdul-Wasee Al-Mutairi affirmed that the team’s ambitions have risen following their first-ever victory in their Gulf Cup history, noting that the players now aspire to compete for the title.