Jeddah, October 02 (QNA) – The Qatar national football team will be seeking a place in the final of the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup, currently being held in Jeddah, when they face Saudi Arabia tomorrow, Saturday, at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in the semifinals.

The winner will face the team advancing from the other semifinal between the UAE and Oman, scheduled for the same day at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium. The final will be held at 9:00 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.

Qatar is looking to return to the forefront of Gulf football by first reaching the final, having been absent from the tournament’s decisive match since the 22nd edition, held in Saudi Arabia in 2014. That tournament saw Qatar claim their third and most recent title with a 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia, with Al Mahdi Ali and Boualem Khoukhi scoring for Qatar after Saud Kariri had put Saudi Arabia ahead.

Qatar produced impressive performances in the group stage, opening their campaign with a 2-0 victory over defending champions Bahrain before defeating Yemen 1-0 to secure an early place in the semifinals from Group B.

Their final match against the UAE, which decided the top spot in the group, ended in a 1-1 draw. Qatar finished second with seven points, behind the UAE on goal difference, setting up a semifinal against hosts Saudi Arabia, the Group A winners.

Qatar played their final group match against the UAE with a number of substitutes alongside some regular starters, as the coaching staff sought to prepare the squad and make use of the match ahead of the semifinal. Several players who missed that match are set to return, most notably star player Akram Afif.

Qatar face a difficult encounter against hosts Saudi Arabia, who will also have the backing of their home supporters. Saudi Arabia produced impressive performances in the group stage, finishing with a perfect record and convincing victories. They began with a 1-0 win over Kuwait, followed by a 3-0 victory over Oman, before overcoming Iraq 2-0. Saudi Arabia topped the group with nine points, scoring six goals, while their solid defense made them the only team not to concede a goal.

Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui said the match against Saudi Arabia would be far from easy against a strong opponent considered among the leading contenders for the title and also backed by home advantage and their supporters, requiring the highest levels of concentration and preparation from his team.

He added that Qatar had faced Saudi Arabia a year ago, but that the Saudi side was now stronger following the addition of new and young players. At the same time, he stressed that Qatar had produced excellent performances in the tournament and shown a strong desire to continue their campaign and achieve their objective. The Spanish coach said Qatar would be fully prepared and would fight for their chance to secure victory, expressing complete confidence in the players in the squad to produce a strong performance as they seek to win and advance to the final. 

Lopetegui concluded by confirming that Akram Afif’s absence from the previous match would not prevent him from featuring in the semifinal, adding that all players would be ready for a demanding encounter requiring a high level of concentration throughout.

Previous Gulf Cup meetings between Qatar and Saudi Arabia have produced a long history, with the two sides facing each other 22 times. Saudi Arabia have recorded 10 victories compared with three for Qatar, while nine matches have ended in draws. Saudi Arabia have scored 34 goals in those encounters compared with Qatar’s 14.

In the other semifinal, the UAE will seek to continue their strong performances in the tournament when they face Oman. The UAE secured their place in the semifinals after topping Group B with seven points, ahead of Qatar on goal difference. They defeated Yemen 4-0 and Bahrain 3-0 before drawing 1-1 with Qatar in the final round.

Oman, meanwhile, defied expectations to reach the semifinals in dramatic fashion. They entered their final Group A match with just one point after a 1-1 draw with Iraq and a 3-0 defeat to Saudi Arabia. Oman then defeated Kuwait 3-1 and benefited from Iraq’s 2-0 loss to Saudi Arabia. With Oman and Iraq level on all criteria, Oman secured the group’s second semifinal berth through the drawing of lots.

The encounter between the UAE and Oman is expected to be closely contested, with both teams seeking to reach the final and continue their challenge for the title. The tournament’s distinctive competitive nature makes the outcome difficult to predict. (QNA)