UAE and Qatar seek to clinch qualification against Bahrain and Yemen

The United Arab Emirates aims to secure its second victory in the Gulf Cup, hosted in Jeddah, when it faces defending champions Bahrain, mirroring the scenario for Qatar, which will face a wounded Yemen on Sunday. A win for either side would guarantee their passage from Group Two to the semi-finals.

The "White Falcons" recorded a commanding 4-0 victory over Yemen in their opening match of "Gulf Cup 27," while the "Maroon Five" defeated Bahrain 2-0, strengthening their chances of clinching qualification ahead of their head-to-head clash in the final third round.

The UAE, holders of the 2007 and 2013 titles, failed to advance past the group stage in the last three editions. However, their convincing performance in the first match has put them in the spotlight.

Against Yemen, the UAE fielded a lineup featuring ten naturalized players, resulting in clear dominance. This marked their largest victory since defeating Oman 4-0 in "Gulf Cup 5" in 1979.

Coach Dalic may benefit from the services of Balla Guilleherme, who missed the first match due to injury. The Shabab Al Ahli player could provide an offensive boost alongside Yuri Cesar, Bruno Oliveira, and Nicolas Jimenez, who scored a brace in the match against Yemen.

Bahrain, who won their second title in history in the previous edition, could find themselves eliminated from the tournament if they suffer a second consecutive loss against the UAE, despite promises from their Croatian coach, Dragan Talajic, to secure a third title.

Talajic hopes to erase the negative image of the "Reds," who have been far from the high level they displayed in "Gulf Cup 26" in Kuwait.

In the match against the UAE, the Bahraini team will likely rely on most of the players who featured against Qatar, but they will be missing Abbas Al-Asfour, who was sent off in the match against Qatar after causing a penalty kick in stoppage time.

In the second match between Qatar and Yemen, mathematically, the Qatari team only needs a win of any scoreline to secure their place in the semi-finals before facing the UAE in the final third round. Yemen, on the other hand, has no alternative but to win or at least draw and await complex calculations in the third round when they face Bahrain, who achieved a historic victory over them in the previous edition, "Gulf Cup 26" in Kuwait.

The "Maroon Five" appear to have the stronger chances of winning, given their distinguished players across all lines. This starts with goalkeeper Mahmoud Abu Neda, who shone in the 2026 World Cup, continues with the defensive trio of Khoukhi Boualem, Sultan Al-Briki, and Pedro Miguel, and the midfield trio of Assim Madbou, Karim Bouzid, and Ahmed Fathi, in addition to attacking elements such as Almoez Ali, Ahmed Al-Janahi, and Akram Afif.

For his part, Yemeni coach Noureddine Ould Ali dreams of a historic achievement by qualifying for the knockout stages of the Gulf Cup for the first time in the team's history. However, he will need a near-miracle against the Asian champions, who are armed with their players' experience and technical stability under the guidance of Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui.