The United Arab Emirates eliminated defending champions Bahrain from Gulf Cup 27 with a decisive 3-0 victory on Sunday at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. The win secured the UAE’s place in the semifinals while confirming Bahrain’s early exit from the tournament after two consecutive losses in Group B.

The match’s opening goal came in the 30th minute when Othman Kamara headed home a corner delivered by Yuri Cesar, giving the UAE a 1-0 lead at halftime. Despite several saves from Bahrain goalkeeper Ibrahim Lutfalla, who denied multiple attempts from UAE forward Nicolas Jimenez in the late first half, the UAE maintained control throughout the match.

In the second half, the UAE continued to dominate possession and chances. Jimenez nearly doubled the lead in the 53rd minute, but his header struck the crossbar. Bahrain responded with a brief counterattack at the 58th minute, featuring a cross from Kamil Al Aswad towards Ali Madan, whose header was cleared by the UAE defense.

The visitors extended their lead in the 66th minute when Guilherme Bala received a long pass from Marcos Meloni, maneuvered past defenders, and placed a low shot into the left corner. Bahrain’s Lutfalla made several further saves to keep the scoreline from widening but was finally beaten in the 88th minute. Substitute Ali Saleh skillfully chipped the ball over the advancing goalkeeper after a pass from Bruno Oliveira, sealing the 3-0 outcome.

Statistically, the UAE dominated with 57 percent possession and 20 shots—11 on target—compared to Bahrain’s four attempts without success on goal. Lutfalla’s eight saves could not prevent the hosts’ comprehensive victory.

Earlier on Sunday, Qatar also secured semifinal qualification from Group B by defeating Yemen 1-0. The final group matches are scheduled for Tuesday, with the UAE facing Qatar and Bahrain playing against Yemen. These fixtures will determine the final standings, although both the UAE and Qatar have already secured advancement to the semifinals.