Bahrain Fight Back To Stun Oman And Lift Gulf Cup


(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula

Kuwait City: Two minutes were enough to turn a dramatic Arabian Gulf Cup final in Bahrain's favour as they came back from a goal down to beat Oman 2-1 and lift their second Gulf title in Kuwait.

Oman had taken a first half lead, and looked to be heading towards their third title, but Bahrain fought back in sensational style.

The atmosphere inside the Jaber Al Ahmad International Stadium was electric as 57,674 fans anticipated a festival of football provided by the tournament's two most impressive sides who topped their respective groups.

Following an early spell of Oman pressure, it was Bahrain who missed a golden opportunity to take the lead on 12 minutes when Mohamed Marhoon blazed over with the goal at his mercy from inside the six-yard box.

But Oman went ahead four minutes later when Ali Al Busaidi's out-swinging corner was headed home superbly by winger Abdul Rahman Al Mushaifri.

Bahrain came close to levelling at the end of an open first half but Ali Madan's shot flashed across the Omani goal to send the teams into the interval with just the one goal between them.

Bahrain pushed hard for an equaliser in the second half and got their reward in the 78th minute when a rash challenge on Marhoon saw the referee point to the spot. The winger dusted himself down to slot home in style and atone for his earlier miss.

Just two minutes later and the Bahrain end erupted once again when Marhoon burst clear down the left wing and his cross was deflected into his own net by unfortunate Oman centre-back, Mohammed Al-Masalami.

The double blow stunned Oman, who were the losing finalists in Iraq last time out, and they struggled to find a way back into the match, leaving Bahrain as worthy winners of what has been a hugely entertaining two weeks of football.

The 26th edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup has been an undoubted success. More than 450,000 fans have packed into the two stadiums to watch 15 quality matches, so all eyes will now move to September 2026 when Saudi Arabia will host the 27th edition.

There was some consolation for the excellent hosts, Kuwait, with striker, Mohammad Dahan, being named the Player-of-the-Tournament, and picking up a cheque for $10,000.

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The Peninsula

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