"Gulf 25": An Iraqi apology to the Omani federation after the fans could not enter

Today, the Iraqi Football Association apologized to its Omani counterpart for the fact that the fans supporting the Oman national team were unable to attend the final match of the Gulf Cup 25, due to the mass crowd that exceeded expectations and led to a delay in entering the Basra International Stadium last Thursday.

A statement by the Iraqi Federation said, "The Ethnic Qom Football Federation expresses its deep regret as a result of the massive crowd momentum in the final match of the 25th Gulf Championship between the Iraqi and Omani brotherly teams, which led to a delay in the entry of the Omani fans to the stadium to support the Omani team."

The "Lions of Mesopotamia" team won the fourth title in its history and the first since 1988 after its dramatic victory over its Omani counterpart 3-2 in stoppage time in the second extra half, in the presence of more than 65,000 Iraqi fans at the Basra International Stadium.

It was decided that five thousand seats would be allocated in one of the stadium's stands for Omani fans.

The statement added, "On this occasion, the President of the Iraqi Football Association, Adnan Darjal, on behalf of the Organizing Committee, apologizes to the Omani fans who were late in entering the stadium, which was a factor in the success of the tournament throughout its days. The President of the Association also affirms Iraq's keenness to strengthen its historical relations with the brotherly Sultanate of Oman." In all fields".

The Omani Federation called on the Omani fans, in a statement Thursday before the match, to return to the capital, Muscat, for their safety, following the great chaos that swept the vicinity of the Basra stadium and the stampede at its gates, which led to the death of one person and the injury of dozens.

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