In video: did the referee deny Saudi Arabia two penalties against Qatar?

The semi-final between Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the Arabian Gulf Cup "Gulf 27" turned on two contentious refereeing calls in extra time.

Saudi Arabia met Qatar on Saturday at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah.

In the 104th minute, the ball dropped to Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Al-Qahtani on the edge of Qatar's penalty area. He hammered it goalwards, only for it to strike the Qatari defence.

'103 مطالبات سعودية بركلة جزاء 👋 #نادينا_خليجي27#السعودية_قطر pic.twitter.com/IpkpXr5bn1 — نادينا (@NadeenaShow) October 3, 2026

Furious, Al-Qahtani, his team-mates and Greek coach Georgios Donis demanded a penalty, convinced the ball had struck the Qatari defender's hand.

The referee waved play on from the outset and stuck with that call after a VAR review.

'111 تسديدة الحمدان تصطدم بيد مدافع قطر ومطالبات بركلة جزاء #نادينا_خليجي27#السعودية_قطر pic.twitter.com/nibgqb8nW2 — نادينا (@NadeenaShow) October 3, 2026

Refereeing expert Mohammed Kamal Risha backed the official, telling Saudi newspaper "Al-Riyadiah" that the decision was correct.

"There is no penalty for Saudi Arabia in the 104th minute, as the ball struck the midriff of the Qatari defender, and there was no handball," Risha said. "It was a correct decision by the referee to allow play to continue, with the backing of the VAR room."

محمد كمال ريشة، محلل «الرياضية» التحكيمي: «لا وجود لركلة جزاء للمنتخب السعودي في الدقيقة 104، فالكرة اصطدمت ببطن المدافع القطري، وليست هناك لمسة يد، وقرار صحيح من الحكم باستمرار اللعب مع تأييد من غرفة الـ VAR».#السعودية_قطر 🇸🇦🇶🇦#خليجي_الديار_العربية27#خليجي27 🇸🇦#كأس_الخليج — صحيفة الرياضية (@ariyadhiah) October 3, 2026

Seven minutes later, the drama returned. Abdullah Al-Hamdan drilled a powerful effort that caught the hand of a Qatar defender inside the box, yet once again the referee refused to point to the spot.