Kuwait got the first look at goal within the opening minute with Saleh Alfadhel firing his long-range effort high, while Abdulrahman Alwadi was denied by the bar.

Iraq found themselves pegged in their own half and conceded in the second minute with Alwadi (pictured below) firing home Abdulrahman Altawail’s pin point cross off a corner with a volley.

Kuwait almost instantly found themselves under pressure after scoring as wave after wave of Iraqi attacks came at them. 

Salim Faisal, who scored a hat-trick against Oman, came close to equalising in the seventh minute when he angled Tareq Zeyad’s kick-in just wide with the Naft Al Wasat player then squandering another effort from a set-piece.

Iraq continued to press with Khaled Abdullah foiling Zeyad’s close range attempt moments later before the keeper did well to stop ​​Mustafa Ihsan’s effort in the ninth minute.

Kuwait finally cracked under pressure in the 13th minute when Rafid Hameed threaded a defence-splitting pass to a lurking Faisal (pictured above), who showed calm nerves to round off a diving Abdullah to score the equaliser.

Kuwait tried to respond and came close in the 17th minute when Alfadhel saw his long-range effort blocked by Iraq keeper Zaher Mahdi with the Kuwait No. 14 failing to find the target on the follow-up.

Instead, it was Iraq who took the lead into the break when a defensive error by Khaled Abdullah saw Zeyad pounce on the ball before relaying it to Faisal to score from close range.

Backed by the partisan home fans, Kuwait drew level seconds into the restart following a well-crafted power play move with Abdulrahman Almosabehi scoring from inside the box.

Iraq threw players forward in search of the winner, resulting in Kuwait's Abdulaziz Albasam receiving his marching orders in the 37th minute for a bad foul but the hosts held on to book their quarter-final spot.