Kuwait loses to Saudi Arabia in the opening match of Gulf Cup 27
Our national senior football team suffered a 1-0 defeat against their Saudi counterparts in the match held at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. This was the opening match for the "Blue" team in the 27th Gulf Cup, which kicked off in Saudi Arabia with the participation of eight national teams, and marked the conclusion of the first round of Group A in the tournament.
The only goal of the match was scored by the Saudi "Green" team through an own goal by our national team's defender, Yousef Al-Haqan. The ball deflected off his head after a shot by Saudi striker Hamed Al-Hamami, finding its way into the net of our national team's goalkeeper, Saud Al-Houshan, in the 73rd minute of the second half.
The match was intense, with both teams displaying high levels of performance throughout both halves. Defensively, Portuguese coach Hélio Sousa relied on a new lineup featuring Abdulaziz Naji, Yousef Al-Haqan, Muath Al-Zafiri, and Raad Al-Dosari. Offensively, Sousa deployed a trio of Mohammed Daham, Eid Al-Rashidi, and Shibib Al-Khalidi.
In the first half, the two teams exchanged attacks, with the Saudi "Green" team holding a relative advantage, driven by Salem Abu Al-Shammat, who led numerous Saudi offensives. However, the "Blue" team's attacks were arguably more dangerous, most notably Mohammed Daham's shot in the 45th minute, which narrowly missed the right post of Saudi goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi.
In the second half, despite the "Blue" team's efforts to take the lead, the Saudi team's experience was evident, particularly in defense and midfield. In the 73rd minute, Hamed Al-Hamami broke through the "Blue" defense on the right flank, passing Raad Al-Dosari, and shot towards goal. The ball struck Yousef Al-Haqan's head and went into the net of "Blue" goalkeeper Saud Al-Houshan, ending the match with a Saudi goal.
Consequently, the Saudi "Green" team topped Group A with three points. The Iraqi team came in second with one point, level with the Omani team in third place after their draw in the group's opening match. The "Blue" team finished fourth in the group without any points.
