Arab News | Karrar Nabeel’s last-second winner gifts Iraq 3-2 win over Kuwait

DAMMAM: When Youssef Nasser equalized for Kuwait in the 90th minute, Iraqi fans feared their team had fallen into the same trap as they had against Oman. Three days after taking an early lead before being held to a 1-1 draw, it seemed history would repeat itself on Saturday night.

But substitute Karrar Nabeel had other ideas. A last-gasp long ball launched toward the box was headed by Aymen Hussein to Ahmed Yahya, who laid the ball off to Nabeel outside the box for a thunderous finish into the far corner — cue the celebrations among the Iraqi fans as the referee sounded his whistle shortly after.

Iraq had first taken the lead in the 52nd minute, and at that moment, it did not seem like there would be any other result. Left-back Merchas Doski drove toward the Kuwaiti defense before slipping Ahmed Qassim through on the left flank. His cross floated over the box to reach Ali Jasim on the right side, who delivered a cutback toward Zidane Iqbal — finishing brilliantly to make it 1-0.

Kuwait, however, finally found another gear and scored their first goal of the tournament after 165 minutes without finding the net.

In the 75th minute, a cross toward striker Youssef Nasser was cut out by the Iraqi defense, only for attacking star Mohammed Daham to pick up the rebound and play in Yousef Majed — who was brought down in the box by Al-Nassr midfielder Hayder Abdulkareem. Nasser stepped up and converted from the spot to level.

Eight minutes later, Saif Rasheed restored Iraq’s lead with a stunning backheel volley past Saud Al-Hoshan after Ahmed Yahya delivered a cross from the left flank. But Kuwait showed the spirit that has made them the competition’s all-time most decorated side and came back once more.

A free-kick from the right flank in stoppage time did not seem too threatening after Iraq’s defenders had kept Nasser quiet in the air for most of the game. But Daham — Kuwait’s most dangerous player at the tournament so far — whipped a rapid cross toward the far post, which deflected into the path of Nasser for the 90th-minute equalizer.

After a quick VAR review, Nasser was deemed onside and Kuwait’s hopes of staying in the competition were kept alive.

A fingertip save from Ahmed Basil to deny Nasser a hat-trick and a red card for Kuwaiti right-back Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi followed — but it was the final kick of the game that grabbed the headlines, when Nabeel struck the winner to send the Iraqi end of the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium into raptures.

Kuwait now go into their fixture against Oman on Tuesday pointless and with little hope of qualifying. For Iraq, anything but a defeat against host nation Saudi Arabia will see them through to the semifinals.