Eid Al-Rashidi walks off the field dejected at the end of the match.

DOHA, Dec 6: Kuwait suffered a 3–1 defeat to Jordan yesterday at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in the second round of the Arab Cup Group C, a result that sent the Jordanians through to the quarterfinals with six points. Kuwait, meanwhile, remained stuck on a single point, leaving its hopes of advancing hanging by a thread.

Head coach Hélio Sousa rang the changes, fielding a completely different lineup from the one that faced Egypt. He started with Suleiman Abdulghafour in goal; defenders Mohammed Al-Shuraifi, Nasser Khudhur, Hassan Hamdan, and Rashid Al-Dosari; midfielders Athbi Shehab, Reda Hani, Nasser Faleh, and Eid Al-Rashidi; and forwards Shabib Al-Khaldi and Muath Al-Asaymi.

Both sides opened with high pressure and quick transitions, but Jordan steadily gained control, exploiting Kuwait’s lack of preparation and the visible lack of coordination among several players.

Al-Dosari, one of Kuwait’s standout performers, blocked Jordan’s first real threat in the 12th minute. But the “Nashama” soon struck first, taking advantage of poor defensive positioning on a free kick. Muhannad Abu Taha unleashed a powerful long-range shot that nestled inside Abdulghafour’s right corner to make it 1–0 in the 17th minute.

Kuwait’s backline began to show signs of panic. Jordan nearly doubled the lead after a mix-up between Hamdan and Abdulghafour left Yazan Al-Nuaimat with a clear chance, only for the defense to intervene before Mahmoud Al-Mardi smashed the rebound off the crossbar seconds later.

Al-Azraq struggled to create meaningful chances of their own, and just before halftime, Abdulghafour denied Abdullah Naseeb’s header to keep Kuwait within reach.

Sousa introduced Mohammed Daham and Ahmed Al-Dhafiri at the start of the second half, replacing Nasser Faleh and Muath Al-Asaymi, but Jordan continued to dictate play. Persistent pressure paid off again when Saeed Al-Rawsan pounced on a loose ball following a failed clearance and powered home Jordan’s second goal in the 48th minute. A third goal arrived moments later but was ruled out for offside.

Sousa then made two puzzling substitutions, bringing on Fahad Al-Hajri and Muath Al-Dhafiri for Nasser Khudhur and Mohammed Al-Shuraifi despite trailing by two goals. Later, he introduced Youssef Nasser in search of a spark.

Jordan eased off in the final stages, allowing Kuwait to grow into the match. Youssef Nasser pulled one back in the 84th minute with a well-placed header from Al-Rashidi’s cross, and nearly scored a second five minutes later before goalkeeper Abu Leila tipped his shot wide.

Jordan sealed the win deep into stoppage time when Alwan was brought down by Abdulghafour on a counterattack. The forward converted the resulting penalty to make it 3–1 in the 90+7 minute.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff