Saudi Arabia and Iraq qualify for the Gulf Cup for Veterans final in Doha

Doha, Nov 3 (KUNA) — Saudi Arabia and Iraq advanced today, Tuesday, to the final of the second edition of the GCC Veterans’ Cup, organized by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Football Association in cooperation with the local organizing committee in Qatar, after defeating Bahrain and Qatar, respectively.

In the first match between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, the first half, held at the Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium in the capital Doha, ended goalless. In the second half, Saudi player Saleh Al-Ghannam scored the opening goal, but Bahrain’s Ali Saeed equalized. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, and the tie was decided by a penalty shootout, which Saudi Arabia won 5-4, securing their place in the final scheduled for November 5 next year.

In the second match, Iraq defeated Qatar 4-0 to set up a final clash against Saudi Arabia at the Saud bin Abdulrahman Stadium.

Matches in the tournament are played in two halves of 20 minutes each, with unlimited substitutions allowed. If any knockout-stage match ends in a draw after 40 minutes, it proceeds directly to a penalty shootout to determine the winner.

The second edition of the GCC Veterans’ Cup Qatar 2026, organized by the GCC Football Association in partnership with the local organizing committee, kicked off last Friday and runs until November 5 next year, featuring eight Gulf national teams. (End) S S S /