Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuwait City: Kuwait champions Qadsia SC will face Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli for a place in the group stage of the AFC Champions League after Dhary Saeed’s goal on the hour mark secured a 1-0 win over Jordan’s Al Wehdat in Tuesday’s Preliminary Round.
Saeed’s slightly fortuitous second-half strike was enough for the home side to edge out the Jordanian champions at Kuwait Stadium and the hosts largely merited the win in a match they dominated for large spells.
And the 2014 AFC Cup winners will now travel to King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah next Tuesday to face Al Ahli with Iran’s Tractorsazi Tabriz, Uzbekistan’s Nasaf Qarshi and UAE champions Al Ahli all awaiting the winner in Group D.
The hosts began the match on the front foot and they dominated early proceedings and looked a constant danger to Al Wehdat custodian Amer Shafi’s goal.
Just before the half-hour mark they had their best chance to convert their first half pressure into a goal as Kuwait midfielder Bader Al Motawaa sent a free kick whistling past the right upright with Shafi beaten.
Following the interval, however, the visitors came out the stronger and looked likely to break the deadlock only to have their momentum disrupted by a goal at the other end on 60 minutes.
A quick free kick in the middle of the pitch was played to Saeed on the right and he sent a cross into the area looking for Swiss forward Danijel Subotic but the ball caused such confusion in the area that it evaded the Al Wehdat defenders, Subotic and, ultimately, Shafi before creeping into the right-hand of the goal.
Al Wehdat did have a chance with five minutes remaining to restore parity but after second-half substitute El Hadji Malick Tall headed a cross towards the path of the unmarked Mahmoud Zatara the Jordan international could only put his shot wide from close range.
Not long after the final whistle blew and Qadsia SC, who also reached the final round of play-offs for last year’s tournament before their elimination at the last hurdle by Qatari side El Jaish, will now get another stab at qualifying for the group stages and a first appearance therein since the 2008 continental championship.