The countdown for the 23rd Gulf Cup of Nations begins with the tournament hosted by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Assocation kicking off this December.
After Qatar won the latest edition in 2014 against the hosts of that tournament, Saudi Arabia, Goal.com provides you with everything you need to know about the Gulf Cup of Nations, which first kicked off in 1970
?When does the tournament begin
After choosing to be hosted in Kuwait instead of Qatar, the GCC FA released the fixtures and results for the competition.
| Kuwait vs. Saudi Arabia | Opening Match |
|
December 22, 2017 19:30 Abu Dhabi Time | Date |
| Time | |
|
Jaber International Stadium | Stadium |
|
BeIN Sports Dubai Sports Abu Dhabi Sports Saudi Sports Kuwait Sport |
Broadcasting Channels |
Broadcasting Channels
It is expected that the Gulf Nations will broadcast the matches:
| Channel | Satellite |
|---|---|
| beIN SPORTS HD | Nilesat |
| Saudi Sports 1 | Nilesat |
| Kuwait Sport 3 | Badr 4 |
| Oman Sport | Nilesat |
| Abu Dhabi Sports 1 | Nilesat |
| Iraq Sport | Nilesat |
Road to the FInal - Groups and Matches
The groups will be split into two groups of four teams each with the group stage being played from the 22nd of December until the 29th, with the top two from each group qualifying until the next round, the semi finals.
The Groups and Fixtures
Group A: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman
Group B: Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen, Iraq
The semi-finals will be played on the 2nd of January between the winners of Group A and runners-up of Group B, and the winners of Group B against the runners-up of Group A.
The final will be played on the 5th of January.
Group Stage Results
Group A
| Matchday 1 | Kuwait 1-2 Saudi Arabia |
| Matchday 1 | Oman 0-1 UAE |
| Matchday 2 | UAE 0-0 Saudi Arabia |
| Matchday 2 | Kuwait 0-1 Oman |
| Matchday 3 | Saudi Arabia 0-2 Oman |
| Matchday 3 | Kuwait 0-0 UAE |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Oman | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 6 |
| UAE | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5 |
| Saudi Arabia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 4 |
| Kuwait | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 1 |
| Matchday 1 | Qatar 4-0 Yemen |
| Matchday 1 | Iraq 1-1 Bahrain |
| Matchday 2 | Yemen 0-1 Bahrain |
| Matchday 2 | Iraq 2-1 Qatar |
| Matchday 3 | Qatar 1-1 Bahrain |
| Matchday 3 | Iraq 3-0 Yemen |
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Iraq | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 7 |
| Bahrain | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 5 |
| Qatar | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 4 |
| Yemen | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | -8 | 0 |
Semi-Finals
| 2 January 2018 | Jaber International Stadium | 17:15 | Bahrain vs. Oman |
| 2 January 2018 | Jaber International Stadium | 20:30 | UAE vs. Iraq |
Final
| 5 January 2018 |
Jaber International Stadium | 20:00 | Winner of SF 1 vs. Winner of SF 2 |
The Stadiums
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The games will be hosted at two stadiums: Jaber International Stadium (capacity of 63,000) and Kuwait Stadium (capacity of 16,000).
?Which nation won it the most
Kuwait have won the Gulf Cup of Nations 10 times, followed by Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Qatar who won it three times.
Getty
.The UAE won it twice, in 2007 and 2013 meanwhile Oman won it once in 2009. Bahrain and Yemen were the only nations to never win the tournament
