Scuffles break out and national anthems booed in Saudi-UAE football match

Scuffles broke out between fans, and national anthems were booed amid an ill-tempered football match between the UAE and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. 

The Saudis won 2-0 in Jeddah, claiming their first Gulf Cup title since 2004. 

The game got off to a tense start after sections of the Saudi fans jeered and chanted throughout the Emirati national anthem. The UAE goalkeeper was filmed shaking his head at the jeering.

Footage shared on social media appeared to show Emirati fans similarly singing loudly through the Saudi anthem. 

Other footage reportedly showed Saudi fans throwing bags towards Emirati fans. 

Also during the game, Saudi fans launched bottles at the Emirati players shortly before the final whistle. One UAE player was filmed launching a bottle back towards the fans. 

Those scenes came as referee Jalal Jayed issued three yellow cards for unsportsmanlike conduct, before giving a red card to UAE substitute Khaled Ibrahim, who had not even participated in the game. 

Ibrahim was sent off for shoving an assistant referee during a scuffle between both teams. 

Footage from outside the stadium appeared to show fans with Emirati flags draped around them throwing punches, and appearing to kick someone on the ground. Middle East Eye could not independently verify the footage. 

This is not the first time Emirati fans have been involved in violent scenes. 

In October last year during a World Cup qualifier match, UAE fans threw sandals, plastic bottles and cups at Qatari players who were celebrating scoring a goal. 

Some social media users linked Tuesday night’s tense scenes to wider tensions in the Gulf between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. 

For some time, the two powers have been at odds on issues ranging from oil production to the wars in Sudan and Yemen.