Business as usual? Gulf Cup draw held in Qatar but Saudis, UAE and Bahrain stay away

By Mark Baber

September 26 – The draw for the 2017 Gulf Cup in Qatar was held in Doha yesterday, but without the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain who boycotted the ceremony. The three nations are attempting to isolate Qatar politically and commercially, a strategy that has spilled over into football.

Whether the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain will participate in the tournament be played in Qatar from December 22 to January 8, remains to be seen, bit looks increasingly unlikely.

The draw was made under the auspices of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation, a body set up in May 2016 before the start of the current Qatar-Gulf diplomatic crisis and which includes the seven Arab states of the Persian Gulf and Yemen.

Qatar was drawn in Group A alongside Bahrain, Iraq and Yemen, whilst the UAE was drawn alongside Saudi Arabia and Oman in Group B of the competition.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain didn’t send representatives or acknowledge the result of the draw. Kuwait will not take part as FIFA have banned them from playing international football.

Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) secretary general Jasem Al Rumaithi said that if the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain withdraw, the tournament would be reduced to four teams and one round.

This isn’t the first incidence of the latest Gulf crisis impacting on football competition.

The UAE under 16 team recently failed to turn up for an AFC under-16 qualifier (effectively withdrawing from the competition) after the Asian Football Confederation rejected its request to be put in a different group to Qatar or at least to play on neutral ground.

The UAE are appealing the failure of the AFC to meet their request to FIFA.

Yemen, whose officially recognised government has cut ties with Qatar did participate – knocking the Qataris out of the under-16 tournament.

Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1711693912labto1711693912ofdlr1711693912owedi1711693912sni@r1711693912ebab.1711693912kram1711693912

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