Iraq secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Kuwait in a thrilling Group A encounter at the Gulf Cup. The decisive goal came in the ninth minute of stoppage time from substitute Karrar Nabeel, keeping the team's semi-final hopes alive.
Iraq took the lead early in the second half through Zidane Iqbal in the 52nd minute, before Yousef Nasser equalised for Kuwait from the penalty spot in the 75th. Saffaa Rasheed restored Iraq's lead in the 83rd minute, but Nasser struck again for Kuwait in the 90th minute, only for Iraq to snatch victory at the death.
Focus Until the End
Head coach Graham Arnold praised his players' focus throughout the match. Arnold said: "The most important thing for me is that the players remained fully focused from the beginning of the match until the end." He added that his side was the better team and created a large number of chances.
The Current Picture
This win leaves Iraq second in their group with four points, behind leaders Saudi Arabia who have six after a 3-0 win over Oman. A draw in their final group game against Oman on Tuesday will be enough for Iraq to progress to the semi-finals. This positive performance comes as the team looks to improve its standing in World Cup qualifying, where it currently sits fourth in its group with zero points from three games. Fans can check the team's upcoming schedule on the fixtures page and the group standings on the standings page.
Iraq faces its decisive match against Oman on Tuesday, while Saudi Arabia meets Kuwait in the same round to determine the group winner.
Further reading: The National Sport
