Iraq secures first victory in 26th Arabian Gulf Cup with narrow win over Yemen

NEWSROOM — The Iraqi national soccer team secured its first win in the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup after defeating Yemen 1-0 in a tightly contested match Sunday evening.

The tournament, hosted in Kuwait, saw Iraq struggle to break Yemen’s solid defensive line until they managed to score a single goal past Yemeni goalkeeper Mohammed Aman, who delivered an exceptional performance with multiple critical saves.

Despite Iraq’s superior overall performance compared to Yemen, breaking through their opponent’s defense proved challenging. The decisive goal came from a pass by Amjad Atwan, which Ayman Hussein converted with a precise header.

With this result, Iraq earned its first three points in Group B and marked its opening victory in the tournament.

Iraq enters this edition of the Gulf Cup as the defending champions, having won the previous title in Basra. The team now looks to defend its crown, but upcoming matches against stronger opponents, including Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, are expected to pose greater challenges.

Iraq has won the Arabian Gulf Cup four times—in 1979, 1984, 1988, and most recently in 2023. The team has also finished as runners-up twice, in 1976 and 2013.

The 26th Arabian Gulf Cup features eight teams divided into two groups.