Bahrain, Qatar and the Arabian Gulf Cup Football Federation
26 September 2026
Bahrain’s protest over Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo’s eligibility in Gulf Cup 27 has been rejected after Bahrain missed the disciplinary regulations’ two-hour deadline for filing a challenge following Qatar’s 2-0 group-stage victory on Thursday evening.
The report says Bahrain questioned Madibo’s availability because of a five-match World Cup suspension. Qatar had obtained FIFA clearance before the tournament and presented the correspondence to the Gulf federation, which had already approved his participation.