Ahead of their meeting on Sunday in the second round of games in Group A of the Gulf Cup, Ali Khaled looks back at a classic encounter between hosts Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
It was the 2003 Gulf Cup but, thanks to a quirk in the timing of this tournament, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia met on New Year’s Day 2004.
Bahrain had never – and still have not – won the Gulf Cup.
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When they met defending champions Saudi Arabia in Kuwait City in this match, they had one of their finest teams, and there was a strong belief they could overcome a rival they had not beaten in the previous four Gulf Cups.
The Saudis had been humiliated at the 2002 World Cup – losing all three games, including an 8-0 thrashing by Germany, and failing to score – but still had a team that was more than a match for anyone in the Arabian Gulf.
So it proved again. At Al Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Saudi Arabia kept Bahrain scoreless while, at the other end, Ibrahim Suwaid netted in the 73rd minute.
It would prove the decisive result of the group.
It was a disappointing defeat for the Bahrainis at the time, but by the end of the competition – and in years to follow – it would become heartbreaking.
Bahrain were by far the most entertaining team in the competition and scored 13 goals, which was six more than the next best by Saudi.
After the setback against the Saudis, they won their last three matches in style: 1-0 against Oman, 3-1 against the UAE and 4-0 against Kuwait.
The Saudis still finished top of the seven-team group – the format until 2003 – just one point ahead of Bahrain.
Had Bahrain managed even a draw against the Saudis, glory would have been theirs. Instead, it was the closest they have got to winning the Gulf Cup. There were a few consolations. Bahrain’s Talal Yousef finished as the tournament’s top scorer and Mohamed Salmeen was voted the best player.
Sadly for them, though, the only title that mattered remained elusive.
akhaled@thenational.ae
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