Kuwait have set
themselves up for a West Asian Games gold medal showdown
after thrashing hapless Palestine 7-0 on Wednesday.
Kuwait and Iran meet on Friday in a game which will
decide the football champions after Iran drew 1-1 on
matchday four.
Kuwait are in pole position to stop Iran regaining the
West Asian Games title that they won in the inaugural
competition in Tehran back in 1997, and Iran have to beat
their opponents in Friday's dramatic finale to deny the
home side glory.
Tournament favourites Kuwait - the only team who have
fielded their full international side for the tournament
in their home country - overwhelmed Palestine to take a
two-point lead in the race for the West Asian Games gold
on Wednesday.
The match was all-but decided by half-time as Badr
Al-Shemmari opened the scoring on 17 minutes before Faraj
Laheeb and Hamad Al-Tayyar added two further goals within
eight minutes of the first.
In the second half, Palestine held firm until the 66th
minute before their defeat was transformed into a
humiliation with three goals in as many minutes. Walid
Ali picked out Mohamed Al-Faylakawi for Kuwait's fourth,
Khalaf Al-Salama immediately added a fifth and Saleh
Al-Briki made it 6-0 from the penalty spot after 68
minutes.
Khalaf completed the rout with his second goal - and the
home side's seventh - three minutes from time to leave
Kuwait at the to of the rankings with seven points while
Syria and Iran are two points behind them with five
points.
The 1-1 draw between the two other title challengers was
perhaps a less spectacular result than Kuwait's, but Iran
have reason to be pleased with their performance and
moderately disappointed with the final outcome.
The Iranians looked set for a large win when Javad
Nikonam found the net in the 37th minute after being left
completely unmarked following a deep cross, and Syria
were defending desperately throughout the remainder of
the game to keep Iran at bay.
However, the Syrians grabbed a share of the points in
dramatic style through the current golden boy of Syrian
football, Raja Nafee. With six minutes to go, Syria
mounted a rare counter attack and Nafee was able to nod
the ball home from close range after Iran's goalkeeper
completely misjudged a long cross.
