Almost 40 football fans from Oman have been injured in Kuwait after a glass barrier broke during celebrations following the country’s Gulf Cup win over the United Arab Emirates.
The Pim Verbeek-coached Omanis claimed the title for only the second time in the nation’s history on Friday night with a 5-4 penalty shootout win after the game had ended scoreless after 120 minutes.
The barrier at Jaber al-Ahmad International stadium broke as fans from Oman pressed against the glass during celebrations, with the team several metres below at pitch level.
The Kuwait Football Association said on its Twitter account that “around 40 people” had been taken to hospital for minor injuries and posted videos of some of those involved after they had received treatment.
Kuwait stepped in to host the keenly contested regional tournament at the last minute after diplomatic issues between the original host, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain threatened this year’s competition.
