Courtesy: The AFC.com


Kuwait, Qatar claim semi-final spots

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Kuwait City: Qatar and Kuwait took a step closer to the 2012 AFC Futsal Championship on Monday when they defeated Saudi Arabia and Palestine respectively to advance to the semi-final stage of the West Zone qualifying campaign with one match to spare.

The two sides will meet on Tuesday in a top-of-the-table clash that will determine who advances as Group A winners and will face Lebanon and who finishes runners-up and will take on Group B's top side Iraq in Thursday's semi-finals.

Rashid Al Boinin's strike two minutes from full time sealed the win that put Qatar top of the table with nine points, two more than hosts Kuwait who leapfrogged Saudi Arabia into second place with their 6-1 over Palestine.

The Saudis were playing their fourth and final game of the qualifiers and would have assured themselves of a place in the semi-finals if they took all three points in Monday's clash at Al Qadsia Futsal Stadium.

Saudi Arabia took 12th minute lead through Abdulaziz Al Alouni but it lasted just sixty seconds with Saad Al Shahwani drawing Qatar level.

Abdullah Al Dosary's 17th minute effort saw the Saudis take a 2-1 advantage going into interval, after which Qatar turned the contest in their favour with goals from Brazil-born Rodrigo (23rd) and Amro Mohssein (26th).

Al Alouni equalised with a 28th minute penalty before Yazid bin Ghadir made it 3-2 to the Saudis on the half-hour mark but again Qatar fought back and took the lead after Al Boinin got his first of the night in the 32nd minute before Rodrigo claimed his 11th of the qualifiers three minutes later.

Abdulrahman Al Owaifi drew Saudi Arabia level in the 36th minute but it was to be Qatar's night as Al Boinin struck in the 38th minute with the goal that took his country through to the semi-finals.

Hosts Kuwait joined Qatar in the final four with a comfortable 6-1 win over Palestine in the later match at the same venue although after conceding 16 against Saudi Arabia and 18 against Qatar, the Palestinians will be pleased to have avoided another double-digit defeat.

Naser Al Mesned put Kuwait one up after eight minutes as an infinitely more resilient Palestine restricted the hosts to just one goal in the first period.

However Kuwait upped a gear after the restart scoring five times through Abdulrahman Al Taweel (22nd), Salem Al Mekaimi (23rd), Abdulrahman Al Mosabehi (32nd), Salem Aman (34th) and Hamad Al Awadhi (38th) while a 27th Ayman Abusahioun strike maintained Palestine's record of scoring one in every match.




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