For Bahrain and Oman it will be celebrations for the New Year with a spot in Saturday’s “Khaleeji Zain 26” final in Kuwait, promising an exciting match.
Bahrain fought valiantly after being reduced to 10 men early in the second half, defeating host nation Kuwait 1-0. Meanwhile, Oman, also down to 10 men in the first half, delivered a gritty performance to stun Saudi Arabia with a 2-1 victory, booking their spot in the final.
At a sold-out Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, a tight first half saw little between the two sides, with Kuwait’s Fahad Al-Hajeri making a crucial goal-line clearance eight minutes before the break, keeping the game goalless at halftime.
The match sparked to life in the second half when Bahrain’s Mohamed Marhoon hit the crossbar just two minutes after the restart. However, the momentum shifted in the 52nd minute as striker Mahdi Abduljabber was sent off for a second caution, handing Kuwait a man advantage.
Despite being down to 10 men, Bahrain broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute when Mohamed Marhoon capitalized on chaos in the Kuwait box, sweeping home from close range after a right-wing free-kick.
Kuwait pressed for an equalizer, supported by a passionate crowd of 60,122; but Bahrain’s defense stood strong securing a memorable 1-0 victory.
Earlier in the evening at a packed Jaber Al-Mubarak International Stadium, Oman and Saudi Arabia played out a goalless first half with few chances. However, in the 34th minute, Oman was reduced to 10 men after a reckless challenge by midfielder Al-Mandhar Al-Alawi on Salem Al-Dawsari, leading to a red card from the referee.
Saudi Arabia thought they had broken through Oman’s resilient defense on the hour when tournament top scorer Abdullah Al-Hamddan scored from close range. However, VAR intervened, ruling the goal out for offside in the build-up.
Oman, finalists in Iraq last time, continued to frustrate Saudi Arabia and were rewarded in the 72nd minute when Arshad Al-Alawi’s free kick slipped under the wall, stunning the Saudi faithful.
Moreover, Oman doubled their lead in the 84th minute when Ali Al-Busaidi was found in the box, sparking incredible scenes among the sizable Omani following.
However, Mohammed Kanno responded with a brilliant strike from outside the box just two minutes later, reducing the deficit and setting up a frantic finale.
Saudi hearts were broken when Abdulelah Hawsawi was sent off for a foul deep into added time, allowing Oman to run down the clock and secure a famous 2-1 victory, earning their place in Saturday’s final.
