Kuwaiti players wave to fans.

DOHA, Dec 9: Kuwait exited the Arab Cup after falling 1–3 to the United Arab Emirates at Stadium 974, in the final round of Group C matches in Qatar.

The UAE advanced to the quarterfinals alongside Jordan, who defeated Egypt 3–0 at Lusail Stadium.

Al-Azraq finished bottom of the group with just one point, while the UAE secured second place with four points. Egypt remained on two points, and Jordan topped the group with nine.

Head coach Helio Sousa made wholesale changes to his lineup compared to the team that lost 1–3 to Jordan in the previous round. He fielded Khaled Al-Rashidi in goal; defenders Fahad Al-Hajeri, Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi, Khaled Sabah, and Muath Al-Dhafiri; midfielders Ahmad Al-Dhafiri, Youssef Majed, Fawaz Ayed, and Sultan Al-Enzi; with Youssef Nasser and Mohammed Daham leading the attack.

The lineup was a mix of elements used in earlier matches against Mauritania, Egypt, and Jordan.

The match began at a high tempo, with both sides pushing for an early breakthrough. Persistent UAE pressure paid off when Yahya Al-Ghassani pounced on a defensive error, drove into the box, and won a penalty after being fouled by Ahmad Al-Dhafiri. He converted from the spot with a low shot to Al-Rashidi’s right (14’).

Kuwait had little time to recover before Al-Ghassani struck again, this time capitalizing on a misplaced pass from Al-Hajeri to double the lead (18’).

Al-Azraq attempted to respond with several chances, including headers from Sultan (19’) and Youssef Nasser (23’), but the UAE’s organized defensive structure stood firm. The tempo slowed until Al-Rashidi denied a third UAE goal shortly before the break (38’).

The second half started poorly for Kuwait when Khaled Sabah was forced off injured and replaced by Hassan Hamdan. Minutes later, Sultan Al-Enzi was shown a red card for striking a UAE player (52’), prompting Sousa to introduce Nasser Faleh and Eid Al-Rashidi for fresh support.

Al-Hajeri briefly revived Kuwait’s hopes with a header from a free kick (60’), and Al-Rashidi followed with another crucial save.

But Jiménez restored the UAE’s cushion after dispossessing Nasser Faleh near midfield, advancing unchallenged and firing into the top corner (66’).

In the closing stages, the UAE effectively slowed the game, absorbing Kuwait’s attempts to fight back and ensuring their passage to the next round.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff