Tunisia and Qatar Among Four Teams Eliminated from Arab Cup After Sunday's Matches

Group A matches in the Arab Cup concluded on Sunday evening. The encounter between Syria and Palestine ended in a goalless draw, while Tunisia secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Qatar. Despite these results, the qualification spots for the quarter-finals were clinched by Palestine and Syria, who now join Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Iraq in the knockout stage.

As the group stage draws to a close, the tournament's biggest surprises are becoming clear, particularly with the early exit of four prominent teams. Hosts Qatar, winners of the last two AFC Asian Cup titles, were eliminated after failing to qualify under coach Julen Lopetegui.

The situation was no better for the Tunisian national team, who also bowed out of the competition despite boasting a squad of experienced players. Their campaign concluded with just one win against Qatar, a draw with Palestine, and a loss to Syria, meaning they failed to reach the second round.

Comoros were also officially eliminated from Group B after suffering two consecutive defeats against Morocco and Saudi Arabia, ending their journey without any points. Bahrain followed suit, exiting the competition early after two losses to Iraq and Algeria in Group D.

Thus, these four teams — Qatar, Tunisia, Comoros, and Bahrain — stand as the most prominent casualties of a group stage marked by surprises and unexpected upsets.