Mohammed Al Owais saves Saudi Arabia from Qatar to reach Gulf Cup 27 final

Mohammed Al Owais was the hero as Saudi Arabia beat Qatar 3-2 on penalties to reach the final of Gulf Cup 27.

The semi-final at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah finished goalless after 90 minutes and extra time, but the Saudi goalkeeper made the decisive contribution in the shootout by saving two penalties.

Al Owais denied Jassem Gaber before stopping Boualem Khoukhi’s attempt to secure victory for the Green Falcons.

Khoukhi’s penalty was particularly dramatic. Al Owais initially saved it, but the kick had to be retaken after the goalkeeper was judged to have moved off his goal line. He produced another save when the penalty was taken again, completing an outstanding display.

His performance earned him the Player of the Match award, according to the Gulf Cup Football Association, which described the goalkeeper as the star of the semi-final between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Al Owais’s Saudi Arabia team-mates celebrated with him after the final whistle, lifting the Al Hilal goalkeeper on to their shoulders as they marked their progress to the final.

The result continues a strong run of form for Al Owais, who produced similarly impressive performances for Saudi Arabia at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

He was particularly influential in Saudi Arabia’s opening group match against Uruguay, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Saudi Arabia will face the winners of the other semi-final between Oman and the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf Cup 27 final on Tuesday. The match will also be played at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah.