AFC Champions League Two
Taha Khenissi and Oumar Gonzalez put Kuwait SC two up within the first eight minutes before Moussa Diarra pulled one back in the 23rd minute for the UAE side, with Renne Rivas equalising three minutes before the end and Benteke finishing the job.
Asher Agbinone nearly gave Al Wahda the best of starts in the first minute when he took advantage of a poor clearance by Mohammad Freah but then dragged his shot wide of the right post.
The opening goal, however, landed at the opposing end in the fifth minute after an unmarked Khenissi connected to a Amr Abd El Fattah Ammouri set-piece and angled his header into the centre of the goal.
Kuwait SC were not done yet as Gonzalez thumped in their second just three minutes later, the forward picking up a loose ball in a packed goalmouth and firing into the top right past a rooted Facundo Lirussi.
A series of missed Al Wahda attempts from distance culminated with Diarra halving the deficit in the 23rd minute by rising highest to meet Gnezda Cerin’s cross into the area and heading into the bottom left corner.
Kuwait SC’s Suod Al Houshan made consecutive saves to deny Amenallah El Majhed and Ala Zouhir as Al Wahda closed the half with 13 attempts as opposed to the visitors’ two, which both found the target.
Group A: Al Wahda FC (UAE) v Kuwait SC (KUW)
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The home side surged forward after the break, Al Houshan denying Abdulla Hamad in the 50th minute and saving Zouhir’s follow-up before Hamad found the left post two minutes later, with the custodian blocking Cerin’s shot after the ball fell to the midfielder.
Kuwait SC faced more pressure when Mohamed Marhoon was flashed a second yellow card for bringing down captain Omar Khribin on the hour mark, with Zouhir’s powerful downward header from the resulting set-piece bouncing over the bar.
An under-pressure Al Houshan performed brilliantly, saving two attempts from Khribin and one from Benteke within three minutes and then again from the Kuwait SC skipper in the 82nd minute and Brahima Diarra a minute later.
The keeper, who made a total of 12 saves, was finally beaten in the 87th minute when Rivas rose high to connect to a Gaston Suarez corner and head home the equaliser.
Benteke had the final say seven minutes into injury time when he met Cerin’s cross from the left and headed home into the top right corner.
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