Caitlin Dillon
A stray penalty from Iraq's Mohammed Qasim put Bahrain through to the final of the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup for the first time since 2004.
Hélio Sousa had made a huge 11 changes from their starting line-up for their 4-2 win over Kuwait, whilst Iraq had made just 7 changes from their 0-0 draw with Yemen.
Having beaten Iraq only once before throughout the competition's history over a decade ago, Bahrain entered tonight's match as the underdog.
In the sixth minute, Al Duhail forward Muhanad Ali netted Iraq's opening goal at his home stadium, Abdullah bin Khalifa, and the crowd went wild - a feeling the 19-year-old will relish considering his one goal in ten league matches this season.
Bahrain responded less than ten minutes later, with Abdulla Al-Haza'a guiding the ball past the keeper straight from a corner.
However, the Bahraini's relief was short-lived, as just four minutes later Ibrahim Bayesh put Iraq 2-1 ahead.
With the final kick of the first half, Mohamed Marhoon equalised.
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The second half remained goalless, with numerous chances for each side. With extra time also yielding no lead, a penalty shoot-out ensued.
The sides matched each other neck-and-neck in the first three, with Thiago Augusto slotting Bahrain's fourth penalty. Mohammed Qasim, who scored Iraq's winning goals in their opener against host nation Qatar, looked confident as he stepped up to the spot, however to the shock of the crowd his shot went wide and the 22-year-old was left in disbelief. As Bahrain's Ali Madan stepped up, every Iraqi crossed their fingers, however Madan calmly sealed his country's place in the final.
The final will take place on Sunday night at Khalifa International Stadium.