AGCFF President praises 25th Gulf Cup atmospheres
The President of Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani during a press conference held on the 25th Gulf Cup in Basra. Photo: Al-Ain News
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The President of Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF), Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani, praised the atmospheres of the 25th edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup, which is being held in the southern Iraqi city of Basra and will continue until January 19.
During a press conference held on Sunday on the sidelines of the 25th Gulf Cup, Al-Thani explained that the current edition of the tournament broke all records in terms of the number of fans attended.
Al-Thani stressed that the AGCFF seeks to have the championship held on regular dates as much as possible, noting that the Iraqi fans are the decisive factor in the success of the 25th Gulf Cup.
The national teams of Iraq, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar qualified for the semi-finals which will take place on Monday, while the final match is scheduled to take place next Thursday in Basra International Stadium.
Al Thani also announced that the 26th edition of the Gulf Cup will be held in Kuwait in December 2024, and indicated that Oman will host the 27th edition of the championship, without disclosing the dates.
The Arabian Gulf Cup was launched in 1970 and is organized every two years. The first edition was held in Bahrain in 1970 and the recent one in Qatar in 2019.
Iraq is hosting the tournament for the second time in its history after the first in 1979, when it hosted the fifth edition in the capital, Baghdad, at the Al-Shaab International Stadium, and was crowned with its title.