Under-23 team thrashed Bangladesh 3-0 in their away match of the Olympic pre-qualifiers at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Wednesday.
The Middle-East football side confirmed their place in the second round of the qualifying phase with 5-0 win on aggregate after they defeated their hosts 2-0 at home as well.
It was the Kuwaiti outfit’s only national team player Yusef Al Sulaiman, who made the difference netting two of their three goals.
Kuwait U-23 team’s skipper Hamad Ali opened the scoring, heading home a Fahad Al Ansari corner-kick just in the second minute of the game utilising a defensive blunder.
Yusef doubled the lead in the first-half stoppage time when headed in a free-kick from Mohammad Al Dhefiri and he sealed the fate of the match with a sizzling free-kick from 25 yards just a minute before the final whistle.
Yusef could have scored at least two more but Bangladesh goalkeeper Nehal and the crosspiece denied him in the 41st and the 47th minutes.
Bangladesh coach Robert Rubcic termed the loss as something very natural but he also thinks that the team should spend more time together.
‘They (Kuwait) are a better team and it’s very normal that they won. We played well but conceded the goals due to lack of experience and co-ordination. The team should spend more time together in order to improve,’ said the Croatian coach.
The Kuwait coach Maher Al Shammeri at the post-match press briefing explained why the goals came from only the set-pieces. ‘We did not press for goals as we were already in a good position after winning the first match. We concentrated more on the set-pieces which ultimately paid off,’ Maher remarked.
He also informed that it was a bit easier for them to win as Bangladesh played a little open game and they were not under any pressure.
Courtesy of New Age
