The Iraqi national team reached the final match of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Championship "Gulf 25", which will be held in the city of Basra, after defeating its Qatari counterpart 2-1 in the first confrontation of the semi-final round.
The Lions of Mesopotamia are waiting for the winner of the second match, which will later bring together Bahrain (the defending champion) against Oman, to play the final match next Thursday.
The three goals of the Iraq-Qatar match came during the first half, as Ibrahim Baish opened the scoring in the 19th minute for the Iraqi national team, taking advantage of a ball that was saved by goalkeeper Masghel Barshim before it bounced off him to find Baish's foot.
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The team # Iraq leads 1-0 over our national team through Ibrahim Baish in the 19th minute.. The semi-finals of Gulf Zain 25 # Gulf_Zain 25 # Iraq # Gulf_Cup # Cup_Channels pic.twitter.com/YxZIFedaQ5
- Al-Kass channels (@alkasschannel) January 16, 2023
Amr Siraj scored the equalizer for Qatar's Annabi in the 28th minute, after Iraqi goalkeeper Jalal Hassan made a mistake in catching the ball.
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# Our national team equals the score 1 – 1 with # Iraq via Amr Siraj in the 28th minute.. Zain Gulf semi-finals 25# Gulf_Zain 25# Iraq# Gulf_Cup# Cup_Channels pic.twitter.com/MioC7ErRPG
- Al-Kass channels (@alkasschannel) January 16, 2023
Ayman Hussein scored the winning goal for the landowners in the 43rd minute from another mistake, but this time from the Qatari defense line, as the ball reached Hussein, who scored Barshim's net, raising his tally to 4 goals as the top scorer in the tournament.
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The team # Iraq leads 2-1 over our national team through Ayman Hussein in the 43rd minute.. The semi-finals of Gulf Zain 25 # Gulf_Zain 25 # Iraq # Gulf_Cup # Cup_Channels pic.twitter.com/9Iuac5p1sr
- Al-Kass channels (@alkasschannel) January 16, 2023
The Iraqi fans are eager to see the "Lions of Mesopotamia" crowned with the Gulf title after a long absence since the ninth edition that took place in 1988 in Saudi Arabia, and it is also the first time that Iraq has hosted the championship since the fifth edition that took place in 1979.
The Iraqi national team started its campaign in the "Gulf 25" with a goalless draw against its Omani counterpart, before defeating Saudi Arabia in a match that was held in heavy rain, to conclude the group stage with a sweeping victory over Yemen by five clean, and qualifies for the semi-finals from the top of the group.
On the other hand, the Qatari team - which participates in a reserve team with some players from the first team - opened its matches by defeating Kuwait 2-0 before losing to Bahrain 1-2, to return to a draw against the UAE 1-1.