KUNA photo Players challenge for the ball during the Kuwait and Bahrain match in Doha.

DOHA, Dec 11 (KUNA): Kuwait secured a 2-1 victory over Bahrain on Thursday in the third round of the Gulf U-23 Cup in Doha, Qatar.

Kuwait took an early lead in the first half with goals from Ahmad Boudai in the 15th minute and Montasir Suleiman in the 31st. Bahrain pulled one back in the 67th minute through Ali Al-Dosari, but Kuwait held on to claim the win.

Meanwhile, in the other Group A match, Qatar and Saudi Arabia played to a 1-1 draw, earning one point each. With these results, Qatar and Saudi Arabia advanced to the semifinals with seven points apiece, while Kuwait finished third with three points and Bahrain ended fourth without any points.

In the semifinals, the winner of Group A will face the runner-up of Group B, and the Group B winner will meet the Group A runner-up. The two semifinal winners will clash in the final at Stadium 974 in Doha.

The tournament features eight teams split into two groups. Group A includes Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, while Group B comprises Iraq, the UAE, Oman, and Yemen. The Gulf U-23 Football Cup, the first edition organized under the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation, began on December 4 and will run through December 16.