Falcons soar! Saudi Arabia crowned Arabian Gulf Cup champions in Jeddah
Saudi Arabia ended a 22-year wait to lift the Arabian Gulf Cup by defeating the UAE 2-0 in Tuesday’s final at an electric Alinma Stadium in Jeddah.
First-half goals from Al Shabab winger Hammam Al Hammami and Al Ahli striker Feras Al Buraikan secured a fourth Arabian Gulf Cup title for the Green Falcons and first since 2004.
Backed by a capacity crowd of more than 62,000, Saudi Arabia made a blistering start to the final, taking the lead after only 11 minutes.
Saleh Abu Al Shamat’s corner was only half-cleared to the edge of the UAE penalty area, where Al Hammami reacted quickly before firing towards goal. His effort took a deflection off opposing player Bruno and whizzed past goalkeeper Khalid Essa.
Then, only two minutes later, the hosts doubled their advantage with a superbly constructed goal.
Al Nassr left-back Moteb Al Harbi released Al Hammami on the break - the latter was a livewire throughout - who carried the ball deep into UAE territory before finding Al Hilal midfielder Nasser Al Dawsari. A perfectly weighted pass sent Al Buraikan through on goal, and the forward made no mistake with a composed finish.
Georgios Donis' side almost added a third in the 16th minute when Al Ahli midfielder Saleh Abu Al Shamat was played through by twin brother Mohammed. However, Saleh's scooped effort over the advancing Essa cme back off the upright.
The UAE responded, though, Nicolas Gimenez hitting the woodwork midway through the first half, while a penalty awarded to Zlatko Dalic’s side shortly before the interval was overturned following a VAR review.
Al Hilal goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais, the hero of the semi-final shootout win against Qatar, was called upon after the break as the UAE searched for a route back, producing an important save to deny Sultan Adil.
Al Owais then ensured Saudi Arabia completed the tournament with a fifth successive clean sheet, denying Fabio De Lima after the UAE substitute had initially struck the crossbar.
The final whistle sparked superb celebrations around Alinma Stadium as Saudi Arabia were crowned Gulf champions for the first time in more than two decades.
The triumph provides another major milestone for the Kingdom's senior side as they turn their attention towards the upcoming 2027 AFC Asian Cup on home soil, with a host of Roshn Saudi League players having played key roles throughout a successful Gulf Cup campaign.