Amid backdrop of Middle East war, soccer's 8-country Arabian Gulf Cup starts Wednesday

AI Summary

The Arabian Gulf Cup, an eight-country soccer tournament, begins amidst ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia hosts the event under pressure to improve its performance following an early World Cup exit, while Yemen's participation is marked by recent missile attacks from Houthi rebels against Saudi targets.

Amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia will host soccer's eight-country Arabian Gulf Cup starting Wednesday, under pressure to bounce back from a disappointing World Cup. Yemen is the only one of the eight teams never to have won the trophy in 26 previous tournaments and opens against the United Arab Emirates in Jeddah on Thursday, just days after Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced that they had targeted the Saudi capital with missiles. On the field, the pressure is on Saudi Arabia, eliminated at the group stage at the World Cup after failing to win a game.