Doha, Qatar – Bahrain won the Arabian Gulf Cup title for the first time with a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the final on Sunday.
Bahrain, who last reached the final in 2004, were finally able to breakthrough after four previous defeats in finals.
The Saudis were looking to lift the title for the fourth time. During the competition’s group stage, Bahrain had lost 0-2 to Saudi Arabia.
The final, originally scheduled to be held at the 40,000-capacity Khalifa International Stadium, was moved to the 12,000-seater Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, one of the smaller venues used over the course of the event.
Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, along with the United Arab Emirates were late entrants into the draw, after they reversed their decision to boycott the tournament over a two-year-old diplomatic dispute with the hosts, Qatar.
