Arabian Gulf Cup: Football, blockade and an ‘historic’ win
Bahrain won the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup in Doha. Bahrain beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in Sunday's final. It was the fourth time Qatar hosted the tournament. The tournament was played against the backdrop of a two-year diplomatic dispute with three of Qatar's neighbours.
Bahrain won their first championship. Saudi Arabia were denied a fourth trophy. Iraq's undefeated run to the semi-finals brought temporary joy to anti-government protesters camped in the capital Baghdad. The final match was moved from the 40,000-capacity Khalifa International Stadium to a smaller venue.
Teams from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain flew directly to Doha. Bahraini football fans also arrived via Kuwait. The blockade has been in place since June 2017. Spectators hope the tournament will help ease political tensions and end the blockade. J Simon Rofe, Global Diplomacy programme director at the University of London, said sport played in the context of political boycotts is significant.
Ulrichsen thinks the tournament was a success in both the sporting and the political angles. There were no repeat of the crowd disruptions that marred the Asian Cup semi-final between hosts UAE and Qatar.
The Khalifa International Stadium hosted 43,780 fans for Qatar's decisive Group A victory against the UAE. The al-Janoub Stadium in the coastal city of al Wakrah hosted 42,025 fans during the Qatar-Saudi semi-final. Al-Wakra is hosting the FIFA Club World Cup this month.
