Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Tehran: Two goals right at the death saw Kuwait claim a remarkable 4-3 win over Laos who had led three times in an entertaining Group A encounter at the PAS Stadium on Monday.
Kuwait coach Goran Matkovic made five changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Yemen in their Group A opener on Saturday with goalscorer Bader Thekr Allah among those starting on the bench as the Serbian strategist rotated his squad.
Matkovic's counterpart Han Hyong-il, meanwhile, stuck for the most part with the team that made Iran work hard for their 3-1 victory with just one change in defence with Xouxana Sihalath replacing Sonevilay Sihavong.
With the exception of Vathana Keodouangdeth's timely clearance with Bandar Bourslee charging into the Laos area in the tenth minute and Ali Jeragh's routine catch from Thanin Phanthavong's curling free-kick seven minutes later neither keeper had much to do in the opening exchanges of the first half.
But the game sparked to life with the opener in the 24th minute which began a remarkable passage of play that saw five goals in the space of little over ten minutes.
Laos took the lead through Thanin's stunning strike, with the midfielder controlling a cleared corner before unleashing an unstoppable half-volley from a good 25 yards out.
The ASEAN side's advantage lasted just 120 seconds when Nawaf Marzouq powerfully headed home Abdullah Al Safour's corner for the equaliser but parity lasted just two minutes, however, when hesitancy in the Kuwait defence allowed Armisay Kettavong to restore Laos' lead with a low drive that deflected off a defender and past the helpless Jeragh.
An Anoukone Keola own-goal brought Kuwait level three minutes later but remarkably Laos took the lead for the third time when Anousay Noyvong, scorer of Laos' goal against Iran, confidently dispatched a 37th minute penalty, awarded after Mohammad Al Nassar had fouled Armisay in the Kuwaiti area.
Armisay was involved in a sickening, but accidental, collision with Kuwaiti keeper Jeragh five minutes into the second-half and despite gamely trying to play on the livewire forward was clearly struggling and replaced on the hour mark by Jo E Sandara.
Kuwait substitute Ahmad Al Enezi tested Vathana with a powerful drive just sixty seconds after coming on for Abdulaziz Haider in the 70th minute before the Laos keeper did well to keep out Al Nassar's close-range header ten minutes later as they continued to press hard for the equaliser.
Kuwait thought that equaliser came three minutes from time when Bader Al Dhafiri slid in to knock Al Enezi's cross from the left but the midfielder was flagged for offside.
But Kuwait were not to be denied and in a remarkable conclusion to an absorbing encounter Marzouq equalised one minute into stoppage time before Vathana was unable to hold onto a shot allowing Naji Al Ajmi to stab the home the winner just sixty seconds latere.
Kuwait round off their Group A campaign against hosts Iran on Wednesday while Laos will be looking for their first points when they take on Yemen on the same day.