Gulf Cup 27: Madabou's participation is legal

The Disciplinary Committee of the Gulf Cup of Nations Football Association rejected the Bahrain Football Association’s protest regarding the participation of Essam Madbou with the Qatar national team in their match during the first round of “Gulf Cup 27,” thereby settling the controversy surrounding the involvement of the player, who was suspended internationally for five matches by a decision of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) during the 2026 World Cup.

The Bahrain Football Association had previously filed a protest with the Competitions Committee of the Gulf Cup of Nations Football Association over Madbou’s participation, before the case was referred to the Disciplinary Committee for review and a decision in accordance with the tournament’s regulations.

According to the details of the Disciplinary Committee’s decision, the protest was rejected because it was not submitted within the legally prescribed timeframe, which requires that protests be filed within two hours of the end of the match, as stipulated in Article 19, Clause 1, of the Disciplinary Regulations.