Football tournament in southern city of Basra brings together eight teams from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Yemen
Iraq has welcomed football teams from across the region for the Gulf Cup, ending nearly three decades of repeated bans on international matches in the country.
More than 10,000 foreign fans had arrived by the afternoon in the city, located a short distance from Iraq's borders with Kuwait and Iran, an official from Basra's provincial government said. Omar Badr, a 22-year-old from Kuwait, was enthused by the local hospitality. He said some restaurants have offered fans free meals "and people invite us to their homes".
The invasion of Kuwait saw Iraq banned by FIFA, world football's governing body, and subsequent sporadic bans were imposed until early 2022 due to instability in the country.
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