Saudi Arabia denied two penalty appeals in controversial Gulf Cup semi-final

Saudi Arabia’s players and coaching staff made two unsuccessful penalty appeals during extra time against Qatar in the Gulf Cup 27 semi-final, with the first decision upheld after a video assistant referee review.

The match was played at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah on Saturday, 3 October 2026, as Saudi Arabia faced Qatar for a place in the final of the Gulf tournament.

The first incident came in the 104th minute. Mohammed Al-Qahtani collected the ball just outside Qatar’s penalty area and struck a powerful shot which hit a Qatar defender.

Al-Qahtani, his team-mates and Greek manager Georgios Donis immediately protested, claiming the ball had struck the defender’s hand inside the area. The referee, however, allowed play to continue and maintained his decision after consulting the video assistant referee team.

The incident prompted debate during the match, with footage showing the Saudi players appealing for a spot-kick.

Former referee and Al-Riyadiya newspaper refereeing analyst Mohamed Kamal Risha backed the officials’ decision.

“There was no penalty for Saudi Arabia in the 104th minute,” Risha told Al-Riyadiya. “The ball struck the Qatar defender’s abdomen and there was no handball. It was the correct decision by the referee to allow play to continue, and it was supported by the VAR room.”

The controversy returned seven minutes later when Saudi Arabia created another appeal. In the 111th minute, Abdullah Al-Hamdan hit a powerful shot which struck the hand of a Qatar defender inside the penalty area.

The referee again refused to award a penalty, despite further protests from the Saudi players.

The two incidents became the main talking points of the closing stages of the semi-final, with the appeals occurring during extra time and involving possible handballs inside Qatar’s box.