The star striker had several other opportunities to add to the score
sheet over the remainder of the game, as did teammates Fahad Al Enezi
and Bader Al Mutawa.Saudi had their own chances at goal; they came close
but could not find the finishing touches to level the proceedings. With
the result, the Kuwaitis earned their second win in three Group B
matches, ending the competition’s preliminary phase.
Manama: Yousuf Al Sulaiman lifted Kuwait to a narrow 1-0 victory over
Saudi Arabia last night and sent his team into the semifinals of the
21st Gulf Cup, being played in Bahrain. Al Sulaiman found the net in the
match’s 13th minute with a low shot that slotted into the bottom-left
corner of goal.
Badr Al Mutawa, who controlled the game for Kuwait, was named the
man of the match. The Iraqis comfortably eased past Yemen 2-0 in
yesterday’s other fixture which helped them maintain a perfect record
from the Gulf Cup’s preliminary round. The semifinals are scheduled to
take place on Tuesday to be followed by the championship match on
Friday.
The Saudis suffered their second loss from three games and have been
eliminated from the competition. Kuwait now move on to the knockout
stages where they will take on hot contenders the UAE in the first
semifinal clash. The other will be contested between Group B winners
Iraq and hosts Bahrain.
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, in conjunction with
the UAE Football Federation, has announced that it will offer five free
flights for UAE supporters. Etihad Airways will offer just over 872
seats from a total of 1,400 seats from four locations. Flights will
depart from Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai and Sharjah.
Free flights
President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan gave directives to allocate airplanes to operate flights to carry football fans to Bahrain to support the UAE national football team in the semi-final game on Tuesday.
President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan gave directives to allocate airplanes to operate flights to carry football fans to Bahrain to support the UAE national football team in the semi-final game on Tuesday.