Doha: The draw for the Gulf Cup U-23 football tournament, held on Tuesday, placed the Qatari Olympic team in Group A, alongside Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Iraq, the UAE, Oman, and Yemen were drawn into Group B. The draw ceremony took place remotely via video conference at the headquarters of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) in Doha.

According to Qatar News Agency, the tournament will be held in Doha from December 4 to 16, featuring Gulf national teams in one of the most important age-group tournaments in the region. The Arabian Gulf Cup Federation had previously divided the eight participating teams into four pots based on the latest FIFA rankings.

Qatar and Iraq were placed in Pot 1, heading Groups A and B, respectively. Saudi Arabia and the UAE were placed in Pot 2, Bahrain and Oman in Pot 3, and Kuwait and Yemen in Pot 4. According to the tournament format, the four teams in each group will play a single round-robin tournament. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, where the first-place team in Group A will face the second-place team in Group B, and vice versa. The winners of these matches will then meet in the tournament final.

The draw promises traditionally competitive matchups, given the historical rivalry between the teams. The matches are expected to be highly technical and will likely raise the level of competition in the first round as teams strive to reach the second round. This event reflects the Arab Gulf Cup Federation's commitment to youth development and its efforts to foster competitiveness in this age group, which is considered the foundation for the future of football in the region.

The AGCFF aims to help participating teams build a new generation of players capable of competing in continental and international tournaments.