Courtesy: The AFC.com


Kuwait win 22-goal thriller to grab third Futsal finals place

Monday, 19 October 2009

DOHA: Kuwait snared the third and final West Zone qualifying place in the AFC Futsal Championship 2010 finals after a beating Qatar in a 22-goal third-place play-off on Sunday.

In a match that went to extra time, Kuwait prevailed 13-9 after the teams were locked at 7-7 after the regulation 40 minutes.

The Kuwaitis won the extra time bout 6-2 to join West Asian qualifying winners Lebanon and Iraq in next year’s finals.

Lebanon won the tournament by beating Iraq 3-1. Both teams had already qualified after winning their semi-finals on Saturday.

Kuwait led 4-1 early in the match at Al Gharafa Stadium but the Qataris were dogged in their attempts to get back into the match.


With three minutes left of regulation time, Kuwait led 7-5 but goals by Faisal Al-Mohsin and Ahmed Al-Baloshi took the match into extra time.

Al-Baloshi even put Qatar ahead for the first time in the match soon after the start of extra-time but Kuwait responded powerfully with goals by Salem Aman, Omar Al-Jaser and Naser Al-Mesned.

Fahed Al-Turaeji, Hamad Al-Othman and Meshari Al-Nakkas completed the scoring for Kuwait with Eisa Al-Kubaisi hitting a consolation for Qatar.

In the final, Mustafa Hamzah gave Iraq a 28th-minute lead but Lebanon replied almost instantly with a double strike through Hayssam Atwi’s penalty and Kassem Kawsan.

Khaled Takaji made it 3-1 to Lebanon in the dying seconds.







Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com