Oman to play Iraq in first Gulf Cup match

Muscat: Defending champions Oman will play Iraq in their first game of the 2019 Arabian Gulf Cup, taking place this November, shortly after hosts Qatar play Yemen in the tournament’s opening game.
Oman will play Iraq at 10 pm GST, on November 24, two hours after Qatar’s game against Yemen begins. The Sultanate’s next game is at 9 p.m. on November 27, and will see Oman play Qatar in a repeat of the two countries facing each other in the qualification stages of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup of Nations.
Oman’s next group game will take place against Yemen on 30 November, followed by their game against Kuwait on 3 December. All the five teams have been drawn into a single group, with the group winner going on to be named the 2019 Arabian Gulf Cup winners.
The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have declined to send teams to take part in the upcoming Gulf Cup of Nations. This is the fourth time Qatar will host the regional tournament, which is organised by the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF).
Oman have won the Gulf Cup on two occasions so far, having first lifted the trophy when they beat Saudi Arabia on penalties when the tournament was hosted in Muscat in 2009, followed by another penalty shootout win against the United Arab Emirates during the previous edition of the tournament that was held in Kuwait in 2017.