Basra (DPA)
The Saudi national team defeated its Yemeni counterpart 2-0, in the first round of the Gulf Football Cup in Basra, Iraq. The Saudi team advanced through Samihan Al-Nabit in the 18th minute, before his colleague Musab Al-Juwair added the second goal from a penalty kick in the 35th minute.
The Saudi team started the match with intense pressure on its opponent, and tried to penetrate its defense from the right and left sides, but without posing a threat to the goal.
Despite the Saudi pressure, the first real chances in the match were from the Yemeni national team in the ninth minute, when Ahmed Maher hit a ball inside the penalty area, but Nawaf Al-Aqidi, the Saudi national team goalkeeper, brilliantly saved the ball.
Despite Yemen’s attempts, the Saudi national team scored the first goal through Samihan Al-Nabit, who hit a ball with his left foot into the left corner of Salem Al-Haresh’s goal in the 17th minute.
After the goal, the Saudi team dominated the course of the match, amid Yemeni attempts to equalise, but the Saudi team outperformed its opponent, especially in the middle of the field, to be able to control the reins.
The Saudi national team won a penalty kick in the 32nd minute, following the first goal was blocked by Samihan Al-Nabit inside the penalty area, so the referee resorted to the video assistant referee technique and decided to count it, so that Musab Al-Juwair successfully translated it into the net in the 34th minute.
The Yemeni team missed the opportunity to score the goal to reduce the difference through Omar Al-Dahi, who was alone in Nawaf’s goal and hit a ball that the latter saved, before he hit another ball that was saved by the Saudi goalkeeper once more in the 42nd minute.
The remaining minutes of the first half did not witness anything new, so the referee blew the final whistle, with Saudi Arabia advancing 2-0. With the start of the second half, the Yemeni team tried to return to the atmosphere of the match and threaten the goal of the Saudi team, which entered the half with a calm style of play.
And in the 59th minute, Ahmed Maher missed the opportunity to score the goal to reduce the difference, following he was alone in the goal of Nawaf Al-Aqeedi, who came out far from the borders of the penalty area, but Maher fired it far to miss the opportunity for the Yemeni team.
Riyad Sharahili, the Saudi national team player, hit a powerful ball from outside the penalty area, but the Yemeni goalkeeper saved it before the defense pushed it away in the 83rd minute.
The remaining minutes of the second half did not witness anything new, so the referee blew the final whistle, with the Saudi team winning 2-0.
