Source: Alamy Stock Photo

Saudi Arabia Defeats Yemen to Claim Gulf U-20 Cup Title

The Saudi Arabia U-20 national team were crowned champions of the Gulf Cup for U-20 teams after defeating Yemen 3-1 in the final, held at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium in Abha.

The clash was played in front of an impressive crowd and was filled with intensity and excitement, providing a suitable finale to the inaugural edition of this Gulf youth tournament, which was organized to highlight the commitment to nurturing young football talent across the GCC and promoting healthy sporting competition.

Saudi Arabia started the match strongly, with Abdulaziz Al-Shamri opening the scoring early in the 7th minute with a header from a corner kick. The same player doubled the lead in the 12th minute from the penalty spot, giving the “Green Falcons” a comfortable advantage.

Yemen managed to pull one back in the 37th minute through Mukhtar Muwafaq, who fired a low strike into the net, but Fares bin Salem restored the two-goal cushion in the 61st minute with a powerful left-footed finish from inside the box.

Despite being reduced to 10 men after Mohammed Al-Sarnoukh was sent off in the 81st minute, Saudi Arabia held firm until the final whistle to seal a deserved triumph, finishing the tournament unbeaten.

On their way to the final, the Saudis topped their group with a perfect record, defeating Yemen, Kuwait, and Qatar, before overcoming Iraq in the semifinal.

Following the match, Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of the Asir region, presented the trophy and gold medals to the Saudi players, while the Yemeni team received the silver medals.

Praise for the “Green Falcons”

After the match, Spanish coach Sergio Piernas hailed the team’s performance, saying: “It was a tough match because this generation were experiencing their first real test, but I knew this team was capable of doing something special, and they proved it.”

Piernas also commented on Al-Sarnoukh’s red card, stressing that it did not affect the team’s shape: “We had trained to protect the spaces between the lines that the opponent could exploit, so even after the sending off, the team remained well organized.”

Saudi senior national team captain and Al-Hilal star Salem Al-Dawsari congratulated the youth side on their achievement, writing on X: “A thousand congratulations, heroes! You walked the talk, made us proud, and delivered another great achievement for our beloved country.”

Saudi Arabian Football Federation President Yasser Al-Misehal also extended his congratulations, saying: “I congratulate our U-20 national team players and the coaching and administrative staff on winning the Gulf Cup title, and I thank our loyal fans for their constant support.”

He added: “This new achievement by our young Falcons reflects the support of our wise leadership and the dedication of the Minister of Sports. Our thanks and appreciation also go to the Governor and Deputy Governor of the Asir region, the Deputy Minister of Sports, and the organizing committee for the success of the tournament.”

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