ShareKUWAIT: Two minutes were enough to turn a dramatic Khaleeji Zain 26 final in Bahrain’s favor as they came back from a goal down to beat Oman and lift their second Gulf title in Kuwait. Oman had taken a first half lead, and looked to be heading towards their third title, but Bahrain fought back in sensational style. The match, attended by HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on behalf of HH the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, was a historic and memorable event for football fans across the region.
The atmosphere inside the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium was electric as 57,674 fans anticipated a festival of football provided by the tournament’s two most impressive sides who topped their respective groups. Following an early spell of Oman pressure, it was Bahrain who missed a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 12th minute when Mohamed Marhoon blazed over with the goal at his mercy from inside the six-yard box. But Oman went ahead four minutes later when Ali Al-Busaidi’s out-swinging corner was headed home superbly by winger Abdul Rahman Al-Mushaifri.
Bahrain came close to leveling at the end of an open first half but Ali Madan’s shot flashed across the Omani goal to send the teams into the interval with just the one goal between them. Bahrain pushed hard for an equalizer in the second half and got their reward in the 78th minute when a rash challenge on Marhoon saw the referee point to the spot. The winger dusted himself down to slot home in style and atone for his earlier miss.
Just two minutes later and the Bahrain end erupted once again when Marhoon burst clear down the left wing and his cross was deflected into his own net by unfortunate Oman center-back, Mohammed Al-Masalami. The double blow stunned Oman, who were the losing finalists in Iraq last time out, and they struggled to find a way back into the match, leaving Bahrain as worthy winners of what has been a hugely entertaining two weeks of football.
Following the game, HH the Crown Prince honored several Gulf football legends, including UAE’s Ismail Matar, Bahrain’s Talal Yousef, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Abduljawad, Iraq’s Hussein Saeed, Qatar’s Mubarak Mustafa, Kuwait’s Jassem Yaqoub, Oman’s Ali Al-Habsi, and Yemen’s Anwar Al-Masroori, in a show of appreciation for their contributions to the sport.
Kuwait’s Khaleeji Zain 26 has been an undoubted success. More than 450,000 fans have packed into the two stadiums to watch 15 quality matches, so all eyes will now move to September 2026 when Saudi Arabia will host the 27th edition. There was some consolation for the excellent hosts, Kuwait, with striker, Mohammad Dahan, being named the Player-of-the-Tournament, and picking up a cheque for $10,000.
HH the Amir Sheikh Meshal sent on Saturday cables of thanks on the occasion of the end of Khaleeji Zain 26, hosted by Kuwait from Dec 21 until Jan 4. The cables were sent to HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, Chief of Kuwait National Guard Sheikh Mubarak Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah, Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi as well as some ministers and officials.
In the cables, HH the Amir expressed great thanks and appreciation to all ministries and governmental bodies for their efforts made in preparing this tourney in a manner that contributed to the success of the event. HH the Amir also appreciated the audience’s interaction that made everyone happy.
HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah also sent cables of gratitude to HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad, his Cabinet members and other senior officials on the conclusion of the Gulf Cup. HH the Crown Prince expressed deep gratitude to the Chief of the National Guard Sheikh Mubarak and Chairperson of Kuwaiti Football Association Sheikh Hamad Al-Sabah.
Cables were also addressed to Sheikh Fahad and Al-Mutairi as well as other ministers and officials. HH the Crown Prince expressed deep thanks and appreciation to all ministries and government departments for organizing the championship, lauding the great interaction of the fans who created a joyful atmosphere during the matches.
