Kuala Lumpur: It took eight years for the AFC Cup to finally see a side from outside West Asia crowned champions when, in 2011, Uzbekistan’s Nasaf won the competition after beating Kuwait SC in the final.
However, in 2012 normal service was resumed when former winners Kuwait, who would compete in their third final in four years, faced off against Iraq’s Arbil in the showpiece event in a repeat of the previous year’s semi-final.
Slow starts, strong finishes
Arbil began their Group B campaign with back-to-back draws against Kuwait’s Kazma and Yemen’s Al Oruba, but jumped into second place in the standings following a 2-0 victory over India’s East Bengal.
Abdelrazaq Al Hussain then scored two penalties to secure another 2-0 win against East Bengal to move level with Kazma at the top of the table, before successive 2-1 victories over Kazma and Al Oruba saw Arbil advance to the last 16 on top of the pile.
The 2009 winners Kuwait got off to the worst possible start in Group C when five second-half goals saw them beaten 5-1 at home by Saudi Arabia’s Al Ettifaq, and they then needed a 92nd-minute equaliser by Lassana Fane to rescue a point in a 2-2 draw against Maldivian side VB Addu.
Back-to-back wins over Lebanon’s Al Ahed moved Kuwait back into contention and, after surrendering a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 away at Al Ettifaq, a 7-1 victory over VB Addu in Kuwait City saw the former winners take the runners-up spot behind the Saudi club.
Arbil unstoppable, Kuwait edge through
After four wins in a row, Arbil went into the Round of 16 clash with Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Fargona full of confidence and took a 1-0 lead into the interval in northern Iraq, before running out comfortable 4-0 victors.
Kuwait, though, would have a far tougher time of it after being paired with domestic rivals and 2010 runners-up Qadsia SC.
Syrian forward Omar Al Soma put hosts Qadsia in front inside 15 minutes, but Brazilian Rogerinho netted on the hour as the game ultimately went to extra time and then penalties.
And it was Kuwait, despite Hussain Ali Baba missing their first spot-kick, who progressed to the last eight after Jarah Al Ateeqi scored the decisive penalty in a 3-1 victory.
Return to the semi-finals
Arbil’s momentum showed no sign of slowing down in the quarter-finals when Salih Sadir’s brace helped secure a 5-1 win over Malaysia’s Kelantan in the first leg to put one foot in the last four.
Ugandan striker Sula Matovu opened the scoring in Malaysia in a game that eventually ended 1-1 as Arbil booked their place in a second successive semi-final following a 6-2 aggregate victory.
After stuttering through the tournament so far, Kuwait would draw their first leg at home to Jordan’s Al Wehdat before suddenly being sparked into life in a second leg that triggered a huge change in their fortunes.
Tunisians Issam Jemaa and Chadi Hammami, as well as top scorer Rogerinho (pictured above), all netted in a 3-0 win in Amman to confirm their spot in the last four once more.
Full speed ahead
Thailand’s Chonburi FC were next up for Arbil, who were making light work of the knockout rounds, and Amjad Radhi (pictured above, right) bagged a brace in a 4-1 first-leg home win.
Radhi was at it again in the return fixture as he scored another double to help his team run out 4-1 winners once more as a berth in the final was secured thanks to a comprehensive 8-2 aggregate victory.
Kuwait, meanwhile, were handed the seemingly daunting task of a rematch with Al Ettifaq but had by now found their rhythm as an early brace from Jemaa, a penalty from Hammami and a late Naseer Al Qahtani goal wrapped up a 4-1 home win.
Rogerinho and Abdulhadi Khamis then scored after the break in the second leg in Dammam as the Kuwaiti team stormed to a 6-1 aggregate win to return to a third final in four years.
Kuwait claim second title
Unbeaten Arbil went into the final at their home venue, Franso Hariri Stadium, having scored 13 and conceded just two in their three home knockout round matches, but faced a Kuwait side that had finally hit top form.
Hammami’s early penalty put the visitors in front to silence the 30,000 spectators, before Rogerinho tapped in on 42 minutes to leave Arbil with much work to do after the restart.
The Iraqi team pushed forward but, for the first time in the campaign, were unable to get on the scoresheet and it was Khamis who put the game beyond doubt with seven minutes remaining when he dinked home to make it 3-0.
Hammami then rounded off the scoring in added time as Kuwait won 4-0 to become the second side to be crowned two-time AFC Cup champions after Jordan’s Al Faisaly won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006.
Photos: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com