The families of those affected blamed inadequate crowd control and ticketless fans for the death and injuries.
[3] The final match of the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup, between Iraq and Oman, was to be played at the Basra stadium.
In a statement before the game, Iraq's Ministry of Interior encouraged anyone who did not have tickets to the final to leave the area around the stadium.
[citation needed] On January 19, 2023, thousands[4] of fans without tickets waited outside Basra International Stadium since daybreak in the hopes of viewing the rare home international final, resulting in a crush as crowds attempted to enter the stadium.
Despite the crush, the Arabian Gulf Cup final match went ahead as planned,[5] and Iraq won the eight-nation event by defeating Oman 3–2 after extra time.