The 19th Arabian Gulf Cup (Arabic: كأس الخليج العربي) was the nineteenth edition of the biannual Gulf Cup competition. It took place in Muscat, Oman, from 4 to 17 January 2009, with Oman emerging as the winner for the first time in its history,[1] following a penalty shootout against regional rivals Saudi Arabia.
The 19th Arabian Gulf Cup marked a milestone in the competition when it was broadcast for the first time in HD, and featured virtual graphics, such as distance between free kick barrier and the goal, 9.15 m circle for free-kicks, and off-side line detection with help from Al-Jazeera Sports.[2] Many praised Al-Jazeera for their excellent coverage of the competition, noting that the camerawork was very similar to UEFA Euro 2008.
The postponing of the competition
The 19th Arabian Gulf Cup was originally planned out to be held in 2008, but due to Cyclone Gonu damaging Muscat six months before the planned time of the event, it was then postponed to early 2009.
Eight teams were divided into two groups, Oman (The host nation) was in group A, The UAE (The holder) in group B, while the rest of the teams were placed in a pot based in October 2008's FIFA ranking.
Singer Mohammed Abdo attended the final match between Oman and his native, Saudi Arabia.[4]
The Tournament took place during the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, also known as the Gaza War, as a sign of solidarity toward the Palestinians, many fans waved pro-Palestinian banners and chanted pro-Palestinian slogans. Omani footballer Badr Al-Maimani also revealed a pro-Gaza undershirt after his free-kick goal against Bahrain.[5] Also before the opening match played by Yemen, players wore shirts representing solidarity with Palestine.[6] The Kuwaiti team also did the same in their opening match against Oman, but instead wore scarves.[7]
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