The current edition of the 2025 Arab Cup some major upsets in Group A, with Syria and Palestine emerging as the surprise packages and nearing qualification for the quarterfinals. This scenario defies all pre-tournament predictions, which favored Qatar (the host nation) and Tunisia, given their rich history and high technical abilities.
The context of competition and major surprises
This edition of the Arab Cup holds special significance as it brings together the region's footballing elite. Group A was expected to be a walk in the park for Qatar and Tunisia. However, the reality on the ground has demonstrated the development of football in the Levant, with Palestine topping the group with four points, earned from a historic 1-0 victory over Qatar and a thrilling 2-2 draw with Tunisia. Syria sits in second place with the same number of points, having defeated Tunisia 1-0 and drawn 1-1 with Qatar. This leaves the two major Arab teams, Qatar and Tunisia, in a precarious position with only one point each.
The complex qualification calculations for the final round
With the decisive third round approaching on Sunday evening, all eyes are on the stadium to determine the qualifiers. Al-Midan reviews the possible scenarios that could unfold at the final whistle:
- Draw scenario (joint qualification): If the match between Syria and Palestine ends in a draw, each of them will have 5 points, which guarantees their qualification together to the quarter-finals regardless of the result of the other match, as the maximum score that Qatar or Tunisia can reach is 4 points.
- A win for one of the leaders: A win for Palestine or Syria raises the winner's tally to 7 points and qualifies them directly as leader, while the loser enters into complex calculations awaiting the result of the Qatar-Tunisia match.
- The pursuers draw: If the match between Qatar and Tunisia ends in a draw, their tally will rise to only two points, which means their official exit and the direct qualification of Syria and Palestine regardless of the result of their match.
- A win for Qatar or Tunisia: If either wins, their points tally will reach 4. In this case, the tournament regulations (goal difference or head-to-head results) will be used to determine the tie with the loser of the Syria-Palestine match (if it did not end in a draw).
Date of the decisive matches
The matches will be held simultaneously to ensure fair competition, on Sunday, December 7, 2025:
- 8:00 PM: Syria vs Palestine
- 8:00 PM: Qatar vs Tunisia
The qualification of both Syria and Palestine would be an exceptional event reflecting their high fighting spirit, and would provide a huge morale boost for football fans in both countries, while the exit of Qatar and Tunisia would be an early shock in the tournament.
