News report by Hammad Al-Mutairi KUWAIT, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- Longtime fans of the Arabian Gulf Cup (Khaleej 26) Cup would recognize Jassem Yaqoub, nicknamed "Al-Mureib" (the scariest), which roughly translates to one who strikes terror in the hearts of opponents.
Yaqoub -- who took part in three Gulf Cups in 1972, 1974, and 1976 -- scored a total of 18 goals, winning top scorer trophies in the 1974 and 1976 tournaments.
Yaqoubآ’s all-time top scorer status remains intact until this day with Iraqi Hussein Saeed only coming close in second with 17 goals since the prestigious tournament began back in 1970.
Kuwaitis legends Faisal Al-Dakheel and Jassem Al-Houwaidi both tied at 14 goals, while Qatarآ’s legendary striker Mansour Meftah took the fourth position with 13.
Speaking to KUNA, Jassem Yaqoub reminisced about his time as part of the "golden era" of Kuwaiti football, which saw the team not only conquer the Gulf Cup tournament, but also win the 1980 Asian Cup in Kuwait and qualify to Spainآ’s World Cup in 1982.
The Gulf Cup, said Yaqoub, was fertile grounds to cultivate talents and push for excellence of Gulf players, making them ready to take on the world.
Beyond the football pitch, the Gulf Cup also taught sports officials how to organize successful tournaments and half a century on, the region hosted the 20222 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, he added.
On still being the tournamentآ’s top scorer, Al-Mureib Jassem Yaqoub affirmed that he was honored to remain at the top after all these years, expressed wishes of success and excellence for the upcoming Khajeeji 26 Gulf Cup in Kuwait on December 21.
Jassemآ’s rival Iraqi Hussein Saeed spoke to KUNA as well, saying that the tournament had a great impact on regional football and birthed several legendary players.
Not the Gulf Cup provided the perfect grounds for talents, it brought in some topnotch coaches and managers who in return became world famous and also won global titles, he added.
The Iraqi striker affirmed that the Gulf Cup was beyond being a sports event, it brought the people of the Gulf together sharing cultures and social interactions during the course of the highly competitive event. (end) hmd.gta