The 2014 AFC Cup winners, Qadsia, needed a win in their final group game to secure second place and stand a chance of competing for the best runners-up ticket to the next round, whereas Al Suwaiq had already been eliminated from the competition.
Goalkeeper Hamad Al Khalidi was tested early on, when the Qadsia defence struggled to clear the ball away following a set-piece and Tiago Lopes tried to poke in from close range, but the Kuwaiti goalkeeper was well positioned and made the save.
There was little Al Khalidi could do in the 20th minute when Khalil Al Alawi received Mohsen Al Ghassani’s pass 25 yards away and unleashed a powerful drive into the bottom corner that found its way into the net despite the goalkeeper’s best efforts.
Al Alawi’s third goal of the 2019 AFC Cup marked the first time Al Suwaiq had taken a lead since their 2-1 defeat to Malkiya on the opening matchday of their campaign.
Qadsia’s sole attempt in the opening 45 minutes came nine minutes before the break through Ronald Ngah. The Cameroonian latched onto a long pass and tried his luck from a narrow angle, but his effort sailed high off target.
Al Suwaiq doubled their lead eight minutes into the second half as Al Ghassani turned from creator to scorer.
Fahd Al Jalaboubi split the Qadsia defence with a perfectly-weighted through pass, sending Thamir Al Zaabi through on goal. The midfielder showed unselfishness as he squared for Al Ghassani to tap into the empty net and make it 2-0.
Qadsia pulled one back with three minutes left on the clock after a well-worked attacking move. Ahmad Al Dhefeiri advanced down the right before exchanging passes with substitute Saif Al Hashan and curling in from inside the box.
Al Dhefeiri’s strike would prove to be merely consolation for the Kuwaiti side whose return to the AFC Cup after a three-year absence ends at the group stage.
The win is Al Suwaiq’s first in the AFC Cup since May 2017, when they beat Syria’s Al Jaish with the same scoreline. The Omani side end the campaign in fourth place with four points. Meanwhile, the result means Qadsia SC are officially eliminated and end their 2019 AFC Cup in third place with seven points.
