Portuguese referee João Pinheiro don return to spotlight, dis time for one of di biggest matches of Gulf Cup 27. Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiah reveal say Pinheiro go take charge of di semi-final between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Di game go happen on Saturday evening for Inma Stadium, King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah.
Saudi Arabia enter di match with confidence. Dem top Group One with perfect record. Dem beat Kuwait 1-0, Oman 3-0 and Iraq 2-0. Qatar reach di semi-final through hard road. Dem finish second for Group Two with 7 points, level with UAE, but UAE pass dem on goal difference. Qatar beat Bahrain 2-0 and Yemen 1-0 before dem draw 1-1 with UAE.
Pinheiro don officiate Saudi Arabia opening win over Kuwait for dis tournament. At 38, e don hold international badge since 2016. E don referee plenty major fixtures for European and international level. E also dey for 2026 World Cup, where e handle quarter-final between Argentina and Switzerland. Argentina win 3-1 after extra time.
For dat Argentina vs Switzerland game, Pinheiro and Lionel Messi get heated exchange. Messi object to how di referee talk to am. Di Argentine gesture with im hand and demand respect. Media report say Messi insist make di referee address am properly, stressing say e dey treat am di same way. No card follow. Pinheiro later explain say such exchange dey happen naturally with players, but name as big as Messi always go draw wide attention.
Di Messi flashpoint no be di only controversy wey follow am. Dem criticise am for how e handle Champions League semi-final second leg between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. E wave away penalty wey German side want for handball inside box. Pinheiro also take charge of Switzerland against Bosnia for group stage of 2026 World Cup, match wey get striking decisions, including sending-off of Bosnia defender Tarik Mahremovic. Now, between Messi incident and European controversy, Pinheiro face fresh test for Jeddah. A place for Gulf Cup 27 final dey on di line.
For Qatar side, Akram Afif don return to training with Qatar national team ahead of di clash against Saudi Arabia tomorrow, Saturday, for di semi-final of Arabian Gulf Cup. Al Annabi star Akram Afif miss di last group stage match due to flu but e return to training, giving coaching staff boost ahead of di clash with Green.
Julen Lopetegui, coach of Qatar, confirm say Akram Afif participation still uncertain. E point out say im health condition go determine whether e go appear for di upcoming match. Akram Afif participation crucial for Qatari national team because of im attacking role, as Maroons seek to surpass Saudi Arabia and secure place for semi-final of Arabian Gulf Cup.
Saudi Arabia go play di match after dem top Group A with perfect record, achieving three consecutive victories against Kuwait, Oman and Iraq, reaching semi-final with ideal record. Qatari national team reach semi-final after finishing second for Group B with 7 points, collected from wins against Bahrain and Yemen, and draw with United Arab Emirates.
