Gulf Cup leaves its mark

JEDDAH: The 27th Arabian Gulf Cup in Jeddah was a special edition, with the city hosting the tournament for the first time in its history.
The tournament also saw a historic final between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It was the first time the two teams met in a Gulf Cup final.
Saudi Arabia, the host nation, had a strong defensive record throughout the tournament. The hosts did not concede a single goal on their way to the final.
One of the main stories of the tournament was the early exit of three teams. Bahrain, the defending champions, were eliminated after the second round of the group stage.

Kuwait, the most successful team in Gulf Cup history with 10 titles, also failed to reach the semifinals, while Yemen ended their campaign despite making history by scoring five goals in one match.
Oman reached the semifinals in a dramatic way. Oman and Iraq finished the group stage level on points and with the same goal difference and goals scored. The two teams could not be separated by the normal tie-break rules, so the semifinal place was decided by a draw of lots.
The tournament also produced a historic result for Yemen. Yemen scored five goals in one match for the first time in its Gulf Cup history, beating Bahrain 5-2.
The tournament attracted large crowds in Jeddah. The semifinal between Saudi Arabia and Qatar drew 51,342 fans, the highest attendance of the tournament.

The Saudi Arabia-Iraq group match was watched by 41,594 fans, while 31,245 fans attended the opening match.
The tournament also involved 350 volunteers, who helped fans at different locations in Jeddah.
Another feature was the 77 prizes given to fans during the tournament as part of a special initiative to improve the matchday experience.
The tournament also offered total prize money of around $1.5 million, with $1 million for the champions and $500,000 for the runners-up.
Gulf Cup 27 also focused on sustainability, with digital tickets, smart waste bins and free electric buses for fans.