8 nations set to battle it out at 25th Arabian Gulf Cup

The World Cup may still be very fresh in the memory but for football fans in the GCC there is another football tournament to be played. The 25th Arabian Gulf Cup in Iraq kicks off on Friday with eight teams from the region vying for the title.

The tournament will be played at two venues: Basra International Stadium and Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium. The action starts with the host nation’s clash against Oman on Jan. 6 and ends with the final on Jan. 19.

Here are eight talking points, one for each competing nation, ahead of the big kickoff.