The Pearl Divers’ dramatic comeback win against Oman was a fitting end to a tournament full of surprises, and emblematic of its previous editions.
Just as the narratives of Oman’s triumphant campaign were starting to be written, less than 15 minutes from normal time, the tides turned. In the end, Bahrain’s two goals within two minutes swept it all as they resurged to win 2-1 to clinch the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup in Kuwait’s Jaber Al-Ahmad Stadium.
As Bahrain lifted just their second title ever, they did so in much the same way as their first in 2019 — a persistent run in which they started out as underdogs.
Mohamed Marhoon’s 78th-minute penalty goal led the comeback in Kuwait’s capital — one that took just two minutes to complete. Mohammed Al-Maslami’s own goal sent more than 57,000 present at the stadium to pandemonium, and soon the celebrations had started in the streets of Manama.
The run to the finale had seen them overcome defending champions Iraq and heavyweights Saudi Arabia. It was a perfect ending for football’s nearly men who have come within one match of qualifying for the World Cup twice.
More importantly, it was a fitting end to the tournament that had a hint of everything: giant killing, upsets, maiden wins, and plenty of drama — much like its previous editions.
Yemen’s first win, Oman’s stunning run
Since its inaugural edition, the Arabian Gulf Cup — called Khaleeji Zain this time around — has been anything but devoid of the political and cultural climate that surrounds the region. Most often, it has served as an escape from tensions, providing a segway to hope and momentary happiness among people.
It was Yemen’s turn this time around, who registered their first win ever in the competition with a stunning 2-1 win against eventual champions Bahrain. For a team that had also not won a football match for more than a year, largely due to the scars of the conflict that has prolonged for more than a decade now, it came as more than just a win.
The video of goalkeeper Mohamed Aman’s reception in his hometown was one to behold — maybe football is indeed the perennial source of hope for Yemen.
On the other side, it was a tournament to remember for Oman too, who were unbeaten up until the finale, or let’s say until the 80th minute of the finals.
The defeat does not undermine Oman’s campaign, however, one which saw them defeat Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals after topping the group that had the likes of UAE and Qatar, as well as a Kuwaiti side bolstered by home support.
There was a hint of romanticism as well for the neutrals in Oman’s run, as they were one of the two sides in the tournament without naturalised players, the other being hosts Kuwait. Drawn in the same group, it was those two teams that kicked Qatar and UAE out of the group stages.
A disappointing tournament for the heavyweights
It was not the best of times for Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, whose hopes of turning the tide of a sluggish World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign did not materialise. Iraq, doing fairly well and still in contention for automatic qualifications, came to defend their title yet could not get past the group stage.
That poses a question for the former three — where do their national teams go from here, and what exactly is the solution to the prolonged struggle?
For the UAE, it seemed like a revamp following a 5-0 drubbing of Qatar in the qualifiers, yet it all came crashing down following the 2-1 loss against the hosts, which came after a 1-1 draw against Qatar on the opening day.
Similar was the case with Iraq, who eventually crashed out following a 3-1 loss against Saudi Arabia in the last group match. Yet Saudi Arabia, who had barely made it to the last four, were downed by a spirited Omani side.
This brings us to the intriguing case of reigning Asian champions Qatar, whose campaign under interim coach Luis Garcia got off to a rocky start, with the team failing to progress past the group stages after two draws and a loss.
An Asian champion, a defending tournament champion, and two heavyweights — all going down to dark horses was indeed the peak Arabian Gulf Cup drama.
