25th Gulf Cup breaks Iraq's long-standing sports ban

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen Net
6 Jan 15:44

After three decades, Iraq hosts the first continental championship, breaking a long-standing ban.

A newly built stadium that will host Arab Gulf Cup is seen in Basra, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023. (AP)

The 25th Gulf Cup begins on Friday in Iraq, with eight national teams competing for the championship.

The games will be held at two different locations: Basra International Stadium and Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium. The action will begin on January 6 with the host nation taking on Oman and conclude on January 19 with the final.

The Gulf Championship will be an exceptional event for Mesopotamia, whose stadiums will host the first continental championship since 1990, breaking a long-standing ban.

The end of the twentieth century marked an important moment in Iraqi history, most notably in political terms, which had an impact on the Iraqi sports scene.

After the invasion sparked by the "Ba'athist regime", which was in control of the government in Iraq at the time, Iraqi football was banned from holding international matches on its soil.

The first ban came after the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) decided to prohibit matches from taking place, due to the country's security situation. The ban on Iraqi football lasted until the US invasion of Mesopotamia in 2003.

Despite the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime at the time, the ban on Iraqi football continued for "security reasons", and with some exceptions during the past years, such as Basra stadiums hosting a number of matches. The ban returned again due to the deterioration of the security situation and the war on ISIS.

The deterioration of Iraq's security situation was not the only reason for the ban; mismanagement and poor equipment of the facilities available at the time were also factors in the ban's continuation.

Confirmation of security stability, logistical readiness

The "Gulf 25" championship is crucial, as it confirms to FIFA and the world's football federations Iraq's security stability and logistical readiness to host tournaments and important matches.

As the media director of the "Gulf 25" tournament and a member of the Iraqi Football Association, Ahmed Al-Moussawi, told the Iraqi News Agency, "invitations were made by the Prime Minister to the heads of state and prime ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Yemen."

After hearing and reading a lot about the security conditions and infrastructure that prevented it from hosting major tournaments and matches, this tournament repaints the picture the world has of Iraq's security and stability.

Another important aspect of the tournament is the economic aspect, as the tournament's success in terms of organizational stability, coupled with security stability, will allow Iraq to consolidate its relations with GCC countries through economic investments that will reopen Iraq's doors to its Gulf neighbors and even from outside the Gulf.