UAE defeats Iraq 2-1 to win Gulf Cup
Author: Nehal El-Sherif
Manama (dpa) - The United Arab Emirates defeated Iraq 2-1 in extra-time to win the the 21st Gulf Cup of Nations on Friday, pleasing thousands of fans who were flown in to Bahrain for the final match.
The UAE team, which advanced through the tournament without any defeats, claimed its second title since the Gulf Cup was launched in 1970. They first won the title in 2007 when the country hosted the tournament.
Omar Abdul-Rahman scored the first goal in the 28th minute, but the teams were forced into extra time when Iraq's captain Younis Mahmoud Khalaf equalized in the 81st minute.
The match was settled when UAE's substitute Ismail al-Hammadi scored in the 107th minute to win his country the title at the expense of the Lions of Mesopotamia, who have won the tournament three times before.
Friday's game was anticipated as the two teams were the only of the eight participants to be coached by locals. The UAE led by Mahdi Ali and Iraq under Hakeem Shaker.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia fired their coaches: Brazilian coach Paulo Autuori and Dutchman Frank Rijkaard after their teams' premature exit.
Earlier on Friday, Kuwait, led by Serbian coach Goran Tufegdzic, did manage to win third place. Abdul-Hadi Khamis scored a hat-trick as Kuwait routed 10-man Bahrain in the match.
The Kuwaiti team managed to change the course of the game after Abdullah Youssef's first-minute strike for the tournament hosts.
Khamis scored in the 35th, 38th minute, and with a 54th-minute penalty after Bahraini goalkeeper Abbas Ahmed was sent off.
Kuwait scored another three goals from Abdul-Rahman al-Shammari, Bader al-Mutwa and Abdul-Aziz Salimi between the 65th and 71st minute against the decimated opponents.
Kuwait have won the tournament 10 times. Bahrain has never won the title, but it won second place four times.
The tournament is not officially recognized by the ruling football body FIFA, but the Gulf Cup of Nations has risen in stature to become the oil-rich region's key competition.
Four competing nations - Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE - have made World Cup appearances.
The 2013 tournament was scheduled to be held in Iraq but was moved to Manama due to fears of violence. Tight security has been put in place in Bahrain, where anti-government protests have often turned violent in recent years.
Iraq will host the 2015 Gulf Cup of Nations in the southern city of Basra.
