Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuwait City: Ahmad Kallasi struck midway through the first half as Syria’s Al Ittihad rode their luck to maintain an unbeaten start in the AFC Cup with a 1-0 win over Kuwait’s Al Qadsia on Tuesday.
Kallasi struck after 24 minutes at Al Hamad Stadium before Al Qadsia’s Hamad Al Enezi struck the post with a second-half penalty after team-mate Omar Al Soma had hit the crossbar as Al Ittihad survived to follow up their opening day draw with Jordan’s Al Faisaly.
With Oman’s Al Suwaiq sharing a goalless draw with Al Faisaly, Al Ittihad moved a point clear at the top of Group A with Al Qadsia second after failing to follow up their 2-0 win over Al Suwaiq.
"We used the counterattacks to achieve our target and we managed to get out with a good win,” said Al Ittihad coach Hussein Afash
“We had some chances to score in the first half but we could only score one goal.
"In the second period, our defenders knew how to deal with Al Qadsia’s players and we knew how to stop their attacks.
“Our fans who were present in the game also played an important role in this good win."
Al Qadsia goalkeeper Nawaf Al Khaldi denied Al Ittihad’s Brazilian striker Ewerson after 12 minutes, but the visiting custodian was beaten midway through the first half.
Kallasi picked the ball up on the right side of the Al Qadsia penalty area, and after skipping past two defenders, fired past Al Khaldi from an acute angle.
Al Qadsia came close to an equaliser two minutes into the second half as Syrian striker Omar Al Soma saw his shot from Bader Al Mutwa’s cross cannon into the crossbar.
But the visitors should have pulled level six minutes later as Salah Chahrour upended Hamad Al Enezi inside the area, but the Kuwait striker hit the post with the resulting spot kick.
"We did everything possible in football to score, but we couldn't put the ball in the back on the net and we didn't know how to convert the chances that we had to score the equaliser,” said Al Qadsia’s Croatian coach Rodion Gacanin.
"We played well and had a lot of scoring chances but our strikers failed to score from these chances.
“We should have had another penalty in the second period but I guess this is football and we lost the match despite controlling the proceedings."