UAE leads attack as Gulf Cup 27 opens with nine goals - Sharjah24

Following the UAE's strong offensive start, Qatar registered two goals, while Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Oman each contributed one. Meanwhile, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Yemen were held scoreless. In the group standings, the UAE leads Group B with three points and a superior goal difference over runner-up Qatar, leaving Bahrain and Yemen at the bottom. In Group A, Saudi Arabia holds the top spot with three points, followed by Iraq and Oman with one point apiece, and Kuwait in fourth place.

The opening fixtures also delivered several key individual and statistical highlights. UAE player Nicolas Jimenez leads the tournament scoring charts after netting a brace against Yemen, while Iraq’s Mohammed Qasim scored the competition's opening goal against Oman. The round additionally saw two own goals—one by Kuwait’s Yousef Al-Haqqan against Saudi Arabia and another by Yemen’s Nader Sahl in favor of the UAE—alongside red cards issued to Qatar’s Ahmed Fathy and Bahrain’s Abbas Al-Asfoor.

Action continues tomorrow with Kuwait facing Iraq and Saudi Arabia taking on Oman, followed by Sunday fixtures between Yemen and Qatar, and the UAE against Bahrain, ahead of the group stage conclusion on September 29 and 30.