Doha: Akram Afif converted a penalty as Asian champions Qatar played out a 1-1 draw against the United Arab Emirates in their opening match of the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup in Sulaibikhat, Kuwait, on Saturday.

Afif, who started for Qatar despite uncertainty over his availability, opened the scoring in the 17th minute, with Yahya Al Ghassani equalising for the UAE in the first minute of stoppage time after a brilliant solo effort at Jaber Al Mubarak Al Sabah Stadium.

Luis Garcia’s Qatar will play their second Group A match against Oman on Tuesday, while the UAE will face hosts Kuwait the same day. 

As both teams sought early control, UAE’s Harib Abdullah took the first shot of the match in the 8th minute, but his long-range effort sailed high.

Almoez Ali almost gave UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eissa a scare after receiving a through ball, but with defenders closing in, he couldn’t find space and fired wide from the center of the box.

Qatar’s opening goal came through a brilliant play by Homam Al Amin, who was skillful in the box and earned a penalty after Khalifa Al Hammadi handled the ball while attempting to block his pass. Afif calmly converted the penalty, sending the ball straight down the middle as Eissa dove to his left.

UAE responded with pressure, and Qatar’s goalkeeper, Meshaal Barsham, made a crucial save to deny a dangerous shot from Marcus Meloni.

Bruno thought he had equalised after Fabio Lima’s assist, but his goal was ruled out following a VAR review that confirmed he was offside.

The UAE continued to press and finally found the equaliser just before the break. A stunning run by Al Ghassani saw him collect the ball on the left, charge into the box, dodge two defenders, and then evade another before calmly slotting the ball into the right corner.

The UAE carried their momentum into the second half, continuing to press and dominate possession, which left Qatar mostly in a defensive stance early on.

Bento’s side maintained control, while Qatar struggled to retain possession, but their defense stood strong.

Qatar’s goalkeeper, Meshaal Barsham, was called into action again, making a crucial save with 18 minutes remaining. He dove to his right to deny a powerful shot from Lima outside the box.

Despite UAE’s persistent pressure, Qatar held firm, withstanding the mounting attacks until the final whistle to secure a point in their opening match. 

Earlier, H H Amir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah inaugurated the tournament with the opening ceremony at the Jaber Al Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City.

Qatar Olympic Committee President H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani attended the impressive ceremony. 

Later at the same venue, Kuwait and Oman played out a 1-1 draw in the opening match of the tournament. Youssef Nasir handed the home side lead in the 34th minute before Issam Al Sabhi cancelled the goal eight minutes later.  

Today, defending champions Iraq will open their title defense against Yemen in first Group B match at Jaber Al Mubarak Al Hamad Stadium followed by a match between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain at the same venue.   

Top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals scheduled on December 31. The final will be played on January 3, 2025.

Arabian Gulf Cup 

Results (Group A) 

Kuwait 1-1 Oman

Qatar 1-1 UAE

Today’s fixtures (Group B)

5:25pm: Iraq vs Yemen 

8:30pm: Saudi Arabia vs Bahrain