Gulf Cup 27: 8 coaches and 7 nationalities amid tough times

The 27th Gulf Cup has witnessed a significant diversity among the coaching staff, with seven coaches from different nationalities leading the eight teams, amid a clear variation in the duration of each coach's tenure.

The tournament will take place in Jeddah from September 23 to October 6, featuring Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Kuwait in Group A, and defending champions Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen in Group B.

Algerian coach Nourredine Ould Ali, who began his tenure on January 27, 2024, tops the list of longest-serving coaches, followed by Croatian Dragan Talajic, who has been with Bahrain since February 20 of the same year, holding the title from the previous edition.

Julián Lopetegui comes with Qatar and Graham Arnold with Iraq since May 2025, while Hélio Souza started leading Kuwait in July of the same year, completing five coaches with more than a year with their national teams.

The coaching landscape has shifted in 2026, with Moroccan Tarik Skitioui taking charge of Oman in March, Greek Georgios Donis leading Saudi Arabia in April, and Croatian Zlatko Dalic arriving in the United Arab Emirates in August.

Zlatko Dalić brings significant Gulf and international experience to the UAE national team despite the recent nature of his appointment, having previously managed Al-Ain and led Croatia to the runners-up spot at the FIFA World Cup 2018 and a third-place finish at the 2022 World Cup. He will take charge of the Gulf Cup 27 after just 42 days with the United Arab Emirates.

Donis has prior knowledge of Saudi football after coaching Al-Hilal, Al-Wehda, Al-Fateh, and Al-Khaleej, while Skitiwi relies on a remarkable Olympic experience with Morocco, and Souza on his title with Bahrain in the Gulf Cup 24 in 2019.

The diversity of nationalities and coaching experiences reveals a different race in the Gulf Cup 27, as teams only have three group matches before the knockout stages, making stability, quick decision-making, and error correction crucial factors in Jeddah.