Saudi Arabia challenges Iraq to take the lead and qualify for the 25th Gulf Cup

Enters Saudi national team This evening, a difficult challenge when he faces his Iraqi counterpart, in the second round of the first group of the group stage of the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup.

The Basra International Stadium will host the Iraq-Saudi Arabia summit at 6:15 pm today, Monday, Cairo time.

The Saudi national team occupies the top of the first group with 3 points, after the Saudi national team defeated Yemen with two clean goals in the first round, while Iraq occupies the runner-up and second place with one point, after it fell into a tie trap with its Omani guest without goals in the first round.

Saudi Arabia is seeking to win to top the group and ensure that one of the two cards is snatched to qualify for the next round, while Iraq is arming itself with the land and the public to win and snatch the lead to qualify for the final, taking advantage of its hosting of the Gulf competition.

It is expected that coach Jesus Casas, coach of Iraq, will enter the match with the following formation:

Goalkeeper: Jalal Hassan

Defense: Durgham Ismail – Ali Fayez – Mustafa Nazim – Hussein Ammar

Middle: Hussein Jabbar – Amir Al-Ammari – Ibrahim Baish – Rewan Amin – Muhammad Ali Abboud

Attack: Alaa Abbas

While coach Hervé Renard, coach of Saudi Arabia, is expected to enter the match with the following formation: –

Goalkeeper: Nawaf Al-Aqidi.

Defence: Ahmed Bamasoud – Ziyad Al-Sahafi – Mishaal Al-Subiani – Maddallah Al-Olayan

Middle: Rayan Hamed – Qassem Lagami – Riyad Sharahili – Faisal Al-Ghamdi

Attack: Musab Al-Juwair – Turki Al-Ammar

The Saudi national team played 109 matches over its previous participation in the tournament, winning 56 of them, drawing 25 times and losing 27.

While the Iraqi national team played 65 matches, winning 30 of them, drawing 24 and losing 11 times.

The tournament will be held with the participation of 8 teams, namely the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. The first group includes the teams of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Yemen, and their matches will be played at the Basra International Stadium, while the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait teams will participate in the second group and play their matches at Al-Mina Stadium.

The championship competitions will be held between January 6 and 19 in the Iraqi city of Basra, and each team seeks to climb the podium.

The Kuwaiti national team is at the top of the most crowned team in the Arab Gulf Cup with 10 titles, a difference of 7 full times from its closest opponents, who are Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq.