Oman takes on Bahrain in its Gulf Cup opener

Defending champion Oman will take on Bahrain in its opening clash of the 24th Gulf Cup at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on November 27. The tournament will be played from November 26-December 8.

The 24th edition of the regional showpiece event received a boost last week when Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain agreed to take part in the tournament forcing the organisers to make a fresh draw and announce the groupings with eight teams in action.

Oman has been placed in Group B along with Bahrain, ten-time champion Kuwait and fancied Saudi Arabia while Group A consists of hosts and Asian champion Qatar, UAE, Iraq and Yemen.

Hosts Qatar will open its campaign with match against Iraq on November 26 at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Oman will meet Kuwait on November 30 before concluding its group engagements on December 2 with a match against Saudi Arabia.

Both the semifinals will take place on December 5 at the venue and time, which is yet to be decided.

The final will be held on

Saturday, December 8, at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Gulf Cup roadshow in Oman

Meanwhile the organisers of the Gulf Cup began a roadshow to promote the tournament. As part of the tour, Sodeifi – the mascot of the 24th Gulf Cup – will visit Oman from Sunday to Friday.

The oyster and pearl mascot will appear at a host of locations, including the Omani Football Association (OFA) headquarters, Al Mouj, Muscat City Centre, Muscat Grand Mall, Al Safeer Mall and Sohar City Centre.

Sodeifi will also make an appearance during the Oman's match against India on Tuesday.

Sodeifi has already toured a host of venues in Qatar and Kuwait. Sodeifi, which features the colours of the Qatari flag, first appeared in 2004 when Qatar hosted the Gulf Cup for the third time.