Bahrain confirm Gulf Cup schedule

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

The Bahrain national football team have been drawn into Group B at the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup following Tuesday’s official draw in Jeddah, which placed them alongside Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

The draw, conducted under the supervision of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation, brought together representatives from all eight participating nations, as well as several former Gulf football stars. The tournament will be hosted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, running from September 23 to October 6.

Bahrain’s group stage schedule is now confirmed, with all matches set to be played at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium. They begin their campaign against Qatar on September 24 at 9 PM, before facing the UAE on September 27 at 9 PM. Their final group match comes against Yemen on September 30 at 8:30 PM.

Across the competition, teams will compete in a single round-robin group stage, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals. Group A consists of hosts Saudi Arabia, along with Kuwait, Oman, and Iraq. The semi-finals will see the Group A winner face the Group B runner-up, while the Group B winner meets the Group A runner-up, with the victors progressing to the final.

Bahrain enter the tournament as defending champions, having beaten Oman 2–1 in the previous final in Kuwait to claim their second Gulf Cup title, following their maiden triumph in 2019.

This year’s edition, also known as “Khlaleeji 27”, marks the fifth time Saudi Arabia has hosted the competition, having previously staged it in 1972, 1988, 2002, and 2014, and the fifth edition organised under the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation.

First held in 1970, when Bahrain hosted the inaugural tournament, the Arabian Gulf Cup remains one of the region’s most prestigious football competitions. Kuwait lead the all-time honours with 10 titles, followed by Iraq with four.