Iraq makes first win 3/2 over Bahrain in Khaleeji 20

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq’s national soccer team achieved its first win in Khaleeji 20 tournament in the Yemeni city of Aden on Friday, defeating Bahrain 3/2 and topping Group B with four points. Iraq took the lead with a goal by Alaa Abd al-Zahra but Bahrain managed to score an equalizer right before the referee blew the whistle to end the first half of the game. Abd al-Zahra raised his personal tally to two in the second half, followed by another goal from a penalty kick scored by Hawwar al-Mulla in the 89th minute of the game. Bahrain, however, narrowed the gap to only one goal when it scored its second in the 95th minute. Iraq is thus is almost making it to the second-round encounters. It will play its last game on Monday against Oman, outstripping the Omani and the United Arab Emirates teams with two points while Bahrain has only one. The tournament of the Arabian Gulf Cup of Nations, or known as Khaleeji, sees the participation of eight teams: Iraq, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman and Bahrain, and would run until December 5. Khaleeji, followed by the editions of the games (e.g. Khaleeji 17, Khaleeji 18, Khaleeji 19, etc), is a football (soccer) tournament currently held every two years rotating the host city every edition. Previously the competition was usually held on a biannual basis, but the history of the competition has also seen it held every 3, or even 4 years, due to political, or organizational problems. The Arabian Gulf Cup of Nations was founded at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico by Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The First Arabian Gulf Cup tournament took place in Bahrain in 1970, and was won by the Kuwaiti team. The 2009 Arabian Gulf Cup, Khaleeji 19, took place in Muscat, Oman, from 4 January to 17 January 2009 and was won by the Omanis for the first time in their history after beating regional leaders Saudi Arabia in a penalty shootout. AmR (S) 164