Ahmed Eltigani
The second week of the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup will be underway tonight with four exciting matches that will result in the omission of four teams, while the remaining four will qualify for the semi-final round. Two Group A fixtures will take place at 5:30 PM Doha time, with the participating teams looking to settle their scores and earn their place in the semi-final, securing them an opportunity to acquire the prestigious cup.
At the Khalifa International Stadium, Asian Champions and hosts Qatar will take on the UAE in a frantic clash to decide which side will move to the next round of the tournament. Qatar and the UAE both have one win and one loss under their belts, meaning both teams will be looking to secure a win tonight to ensure their qualification to the semi-finals. Qatar however, have a slight edge in the fixture, as a draw will see them qualify due to their goal difference thanks to their remarkable six-goal victory over Yemen in the team’s second match of the tournament. Qatar Coach Felix Sanchez commented on the upcoming game against UAE in a press conference, “We fully respect all teams we face. We know the UAE side will also play for a win, given they need it to qualify, which is something that makes the game more challenging,”
Concurrently, Group A leaders Iraq will be facing Yemen at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium. Iraq picked up two wins in the tournament thus far, virtually securing their position in the semi-final. They played their first match against Qatar, where they came out victorious 2-1, and later played the UAE and won the game 2-0. Yemen, who took blow after blow in the tournament after receiving two consecutive losses at the hands of UAE (3-0), and Qatar (6-0), will be looking for a consolation win tonight against Iraq to mark their first-ever victory in the regional competition. Srecko Katanec, the coach of the Iraq team, expresses in a pre-match conference that even though his team has already qualified to the semis, they should be wary ahead of their fixture of Yemen, “Yemen team doesn’t look easy, they have good players and are in the rebuilding process. They can punish us if we will not be ready and will not play well. I want my players to go into the game well prepared.”