The Saudi national team reached the final of the Gulf Cup “Gulf 27” through a path that may not have been the most vocal offensively, but it was the most solid. Four opponents tried to reach his net, and 390 minutes of football passed, and the goals conceded column for “Al-Akhdar” still bears the number “zero.”
From Kuwait to Oman, then Iraq and Qatar, the matches and their circumstances changed, and even the Saudi goalkeeper changed, but one thing remained constant: the net did not shake.
The Saudi national team started the tournament against Kuwait with a 1-0 victory, in a match that saw Nawaf Al-Aqidi participate as a starter before he left injured in the 78th minute, with Mohammed Al-Owais taking his place and maintaining the score until the end.
In the second round, responsibility became fully in the hands of Al Owais, but the Saudi defense system continued its success. “Al-Akhdar” emerged with a 3-0 victory against Oman, then repeated the scene against Iraq with a 2-0 victory, completing the group stage with the full score: three wins, six goals, and nine points, against zero own goals.
But the real test of this toughness did not come in the group stage. Against Qatar in the semi-finals, for the first time in the tournament, the Saudi attack did not find its way into the net. The confrontation extended from 90 minutes to two extra halves, and turned into the longest match the team has played in the current edition.
While the Saudi goal was missed, the defensive number remained steadfast. 90 minutes became 120, and 120 minutes brought the total endurance of the Saudi nets in the tournament to a full 390 minutes without conceding a goal from play.
When the match moved to penalty kicks, Mohammed Al Owais appeared to complete what the Saudi system had started in the first round, and contributed with his saves to the “Green” team’s 3-2 victory and its passage to the final match. Penalty shootout goals are not counted towards the official score or scorecard of goals conceded in the match.
Thus, the Saudi national team reached the final, scoring six goals in its four matches, while not conceding any goals so far.
What is interesting is that the journey began with two different guards. Al-Aqidi maintained a clean sheet throughout his presence against Kuwait, before injury forced him to leave the tournament. Then Al-Owais took over the task and completed the series against Oman, Iraq and Qatar.
The matter was not related to the goalkeeper alone, as much as it reflected the defensive work of an entire system that maintained its balance against four different competitors.
The value of the number increases when returning to the three editions in which the Saudi team won the Gulf Cup.
In its first title in 1994, Saudi Arabia conceded four goals in five matches, despite finishing the tournament without losing. In the 2002 edition, in which “Al-Akhdar” won the title in Riyadh, it conceded three goals in five matches. As for his last title, “Gulf 16” in 2003, he conceded only one goal during his six matches, and conceded against the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Yemen, but tied 1-1 with Kuwait.
As for Jeddah 2026, he reached the last match and his net is still waiting for the first goal.
This gives the final another dimension. Saudi Arabia is not only entering the match in search of the fourth Gulf title, but it is also entering it carrying with it a defensive streak that has continued throughout the tournament until now.
390 minutes passed through “Al-Akhdar” to the final without allowing any competitor to celebrate in front of his goal. Now at least 90 minutes remain between Saudi Arabia and the cup; If the number “zero” remains as it is, Al-Akhdar may finish the tournament in the way that led him to the final: a title that starts with a net that was not shaken.
