Riffa stormed to a 3-0 win over Kuwait’s Al Arabi Club at the Jaber Al Ahmed International Stadium in Kuwait City last night in their third Group C match of the 2023 AFC Cup.
The decisive win means that Riffa now lead the four-team table with seven points, three ahead of Al Arabi, who are in second place with four points. Al Zawra’a Club, of Iraq, also have four points but are third because of goal-difference while Lebanese club, Najmeh, languish at the bottom with a solitary point.
Riffa dominated the game from the start but got their first shot at goal in the 24th minute with captain Komail Al Aswad hitting the ball powerfully but straight to Al Arabi goalkeeper Ahmad Dashti.
Just two minutes later, Riffa’s Sayed Hashim sent the ball swirling towards the Al Arabi goal from a pass by Sayed Hashim but it went wide.
A tight Riffa defence kept the Al Arabi forwards at bay as the pressure built on the home side.
In the 41st minute, Brazilian forward Vinicius Vargas almost put the visitors 1-0 ahead but his left-footed shot was saved by Dashti diving to his left.
Frustrated by not being able to breach Riffa’s defences, Al Arabi suffered a blow in the 54th minute when their Syrian forward Jumaa Alzlit was red-carded for a last man challenge on Riffa’s Joel Vinicius – another Brazilian forward.
With a free kick awarded to Riffa, captain Al Aswad coolly sent the ball screaming past Dashti’s despairing dive to finally put his side 1-0 in front in the 56th minute.
Seven minutes later, Hashim made it 2-0 for Riffa after he sent the ball into the bottom-corner from a pass by Al Aswad.
With Al Arabi now fully on the defensive, Vinicius capitalised on a lucky bounce to beat a defender before finding the back of the net to put Riffa 3-0 ahead and in sight of an emphatic victory.
Soon, it was all over and the Riffa players hugged each other in celebration.
The two sides will meet again in the return fixture at the Khalifa Sports City Stadium on November 6.
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