JEDDAH: The presidents of the GCC football associations agreed Tuesday to hold the 22nd Gulf Football Cup in Jeddah instead of the Iraqi city of Basra.
The decision was taken due to a ban imposed by FIFA, the international federation overseeing football, on Iraq's hosting of international matches and was approved unanimously.
Bahrain Football Association President Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, who chaired the meeting, noted that the conferees have chosen Basra to host the next Gulf Football Cup if the ban is lifted by FIFA. However, a GCC team that visited Basra last September to review the city’s preparations for the event found issues with preparations and security.
Iraq had earlier warned that it would withdraw from the tournament if it was shifted from Basra to any other city. It is not sure whether Baghdad would continue to take the same stand after the latest GCC decision.
Iraq had also been due to host the previous edition of the regional event, which was eventually hosted in Bahrain because of security concerns and delays in building infrastructure.
The Gulf Cup, which started in 1970, brings together Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Yemen and the reigning champion United Arab Emirates.