The Iraqi Football Association announced on Saturday the start of ticket sales for the 25th edition of the Golf Cup. This is the first regional football competition to be organized in the country in more than four decades.
The 25th edition of the Gulf Cup, which brings together the eight Arab Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates, takes place from 6 Iraq, with two brand new stadiums. After decades of devastating conflict and a still fragile security situation, the event poses a major challenge for the Iraqi authorities.
No visa fees for supporters
The federation has shared on its Facebook account the site dedicated to the purchase of tickets, the prices of which vary between 10 and 30 dollars depending on the seat category and allow you to attend two games.
In mid-December, Iraqi authorities announced they would waive visa fees for fans attending the competition, hoping to attract football fans from the Gulf states, particularly neighboring Kuwait, whose border is just fifty kilometers from Basra.
The city has two stadiums, the first with a capacity of 65,000 and the second with a capacity of 30,000, which will be inaugurated on Monday with a friendly match between an Iraqi team and a Kuwaiti team.
Iraq has been excluded from international meetings for many years due to instability and repeated conflicts. In early 2022, Baghdad hosted a friendly match between the country’s national team and Uganda. According to FIFA, it was the first international match to be played in the Iraqi capital since Liberia hosted it in 2013.