# Group stage conclusions in 27th Arabian Gulf Cup > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/yemen-national-football-team-gulf-cup-preparations > Updated: 2026-09-29T22:21:00.000Z. Sources: 87. Developments: 9. The group stage of the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup in Jeddah has concluded, determining the semi-finalists. In Group One, Saudi Arabia secured the top spot with nine points after defeating Iraq 2-0. Oman’s qualification for the second semi-final spot was decided by a rare tie-breaking draw conducted by the organizing committee. Khalid Al-Muqrin, chairman of the competitions committee of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation, noted that Oman was not informed of their qualification prior to the draw. The draw was necessary because Oman and Iraq were “identical in all tie-breaking metrics,” including total points, goals scored, goal difference, and fair play records, as both teams received eight yellow cards. A specific detail noted was that Oman player Musab Al Shaqsi received a yellow card for removing his shirt during a goal celebration, which neutralized Oman’s advantage in the fair play tiebreaker. Consequently, Oman joins Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates in the semi-final round, while Iraq and Kuwait have been eliminated. In Group Two, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have both qualified for the semi-finals with six points each. The UAE leads the group on goal difference following a 3-0 victory over Bahrain. The final standings will be determined by the head-to-head match between the UAE and Qatar. Bahrain and Yemen have been eliminated. Following a 1-0 defeat to Qatar, the Yemen Football Association filed an official protest regarding refereeing decisions made by Jordanian official Adham Makhadmeh. The protest specifically cites a missed penalty incident in the 86th minute involving Nasser Mohadwah, noting that the referee declined to consult the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) despite using the technology earlier in the match. ## Claims - Abdullah Al-Salem scored the opening goal for Saudi Arabia in the 54th minute. (corroborated by 6 sources) - Abdullah Al-Hamdan scored the second goal for Saudi Arabia in the 69th minute. (corroborated by 6 sources) - Zlatko Dalić is the head coach of the United Arab Emirates national team. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The UAE defeated Bahrain 3-0 in the Arabian Gulf Cup. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The UAE has won its first two matches in the Arabian Gulf Cup with a combined score of 7-0. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Saudi Arabia defeated Iraq 2-0 in the Gulf Cup 27 group stage. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Saudi Arabia finished the group stage with a perfect record of 9 points from three wins. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Saudi Arabia qualified for the Gulf Cup semi-finals after winning all three group stage matches. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Saudi Arabia defeated Iraq 2-0 in the final round of Group One. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Ousmane Camara scored in the 30th minute for the UAE. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Guilherme Bala scored in the 66th minute. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Ali Saleh scored in the 88th minute. (corroborated by 2 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-29: Oman advances to Gulf Cup semi-finals via lottery Oman advanced to the Gulf Cup 27 semi-finals via a lottery after a disciplinary yellow card for Musab Al-Shaqsi left them tied with Iraq on all tiebreaking criteria. 15 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/oman-advances-to-gulf-cup-semi-finals-via-tie-breaking-draw ### 2026-09-28: Yemen Football Association protests refereeing in Gulf Cup 27 The Yemen Football Association has officially protested refereeing decisions in their Gulf Cup 27 match against Qatar, requesting that referee Adham Makhadmeh be removed from the tournament. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/yemen-football-association-protests-refereeing-in-gulf-cup-27 ### 2026-09-27: Khaleeji 27: Saudi Arabia tops Group One as semi-finalists emerge Saudi Arabia tops Group One of Khaleeji 27 after defeating Iraq, while Oman advances to the semi-finals. UAE and Qatar have also secured their spots in the knockout stage. 47 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/qatar-advances-to-gulf-cup-semi-finals-after-defeating-yemen ### 2026-09-23: UAE defeats Yemen 4-0 in Arabian Gulf Cup opener The UAE defeated Yemen 4-0 in their opening 2026 Arabian Gulf Cup match, with Nicolas Gimenez scoring twice to establish the team as early tournament contenders. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/uae-defeats-yemen-4-0-in-arabian-gulf-cup-opener ### 2026-09-23: Gulf Cup 27: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE secure semi-final spots Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE have secured semi-final berths in the Gulf Cup 27 following decisive group stage victories against Oman, Yemen, and Bahrain. 55 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/palestine-sports-delegation-competes-in-nagoya ### 2026-09-22: Yemen football coach targets Gulf Cup success in Saudi Arabia Yemen football coach Noureddine Ould Ali views the upcoming Gulf Cup in Saudi Arabia as a major goal, aiming to maximize performance despite limited resources and competing in a challenging group. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/yemen-football-coach-targets-gulf-cup-success-in-saudi-arabia ### 2026-09-18: Bahrain and Yemen football teams prepare for Gulf Cup 27 in Jeddah Bahrain and Yemen national football teams are completing final preparations for the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where both will compete in Group B. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bahrain-and-yemen-football-teams-prepare-for-gulf-cup-27-in-jeddah ### 2026-09-14: Yemen football team prepares in Jeddah for Gulf Cup 27 Yemen's national football team is training in Jeddah for the Gulf Cup 27, featuring a final friendly match against Kuwait on September 18. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/yemen-football-team-prepares-in-jeddah-for-gulf-cup-27 ### 2026-09-12: Sports events underway in Saudi Arabia for Special Olympics and Yemen football team Special Olympics Saudi Arabia 2026 swimming and strength competitions have launched in Riyadh, while the Yemen national football team begins training in Jeddah for the upcoming Gulf Cup 27. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/sports-events-underway-in-saudi-arabia-for-special-olympics-and-yemen-football-team --- Cite as: Group stage conclusions in 27th Arabian Gulf Cup. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/yemen-national-football-team-gulf-cup-preparations