SAFF Championship 2023: Pakistan knocked out of the competition after conceding 8 goals in their two respective matches

Kuwait demolished Pakistan in every way possible as they scored 4 goals and now sitting on the top of the table with 2 wins in 2 games. Al Enezi opened the scoring after just 10 minutes into the game. Then Al Faneni doubled the lead after seven minutes of the first one. Pakistan were found nowhere in the game and looked clueless for the entire ninety minutes of the game. Al Faneni scored another one in the additional time of the first half and ended the match there. Pakistan couldn't even hold onto the ball for long as they were still jetlagged. Kuwait kept their game plan simple and found zero difficulties during hunting the Paks down. Al Rashedi threw the finishing punch in the 69th minute to confirm the result.

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SAFF Championship 2023: Pakistan vs Kuwait Match Report

First Half:

Kuwait completely demolished Pakistan in the first half. Pakistan just played like they were playing against India. They were just not in the game. Kuwait got the opportunity and they grabbed it. Pakistan were clueless as they were still jetlagged before coming into the match. Kuwait dominated and enjoyed possession throughout the game. Al Enezi opened the scoring after just 10 minutes into the game. Then Al Faneni doubled the lead after seven minutes of the first one. Al Faneni scored another one in the additional time of the first half and ended the match there. Pakistan couldn't even hold onto the ball for long and the first half ended with a 3-0 scoreline.

Second Half:

The story of the second half was the same as the first half. Pakistan tried so many things but couldn't deliver for once. The players couldn't link up with each other and the frustration clearly showed off in their faces. Kuwait kept calm and they stick to their gameplan. They kept it simple and got away with a huge victory. Al Rashedi scored in the 69th minute and finished the match in a pretty good style. Pakistan got knocked out of the competition as they now have lost both their respective games and conceded a total of 8 goals without scoring any.

"We want to play well first and control the game. We want to follow the same process for every game," the Kuwait coach said after the match.

"This will be a huge experience for our players who have not had too many games together. We are in a transition phase and setting long-term goals for Pakistan football," Pakistan's assistant coach said after the match.

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SAFF Championship 2023: Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | Lineups | 3:00 P.M.

Pakistan Lineups:

• Yousuf Butt
• Easah Suliman
• Abdullah Iqbal
• Namoon Moosa Khan
• Otis Khan
• Rahis Nabi
• Muhammad Waheed
• Harun Hamid
• Ali Mahmood
• Ali Khan

Kuwait Lineups:

• Bader Saanoun
• Khaled Hajiah
• Hassan Al-Enezi
• Abdullah Al Bloushi
• Sultan Al-Enezi
• Eid Al-Rashidi
• Mobarak Alfaneeni
• Ali Matar
• Mahdi Dashti
• Ali Muhaisen
• Salman Mohammed

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 3:28 P.M.

The players are out of the tunnel. The game is all set to begin

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 1′ | Kick Off | 3:30 P.M.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 6′ | Free Kick for Pakistan

Abdullah Iqbal missed the chance from the free-kick opportunity.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 10′ | Goalll!.... for Kuwait

A short-corner back to the right-hand side flag and a good low ball into a dangerous area finds Hassan Al-Enezi, who makes no mistake with a powerful finish.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 12′ | Pakistan struggling

Pakistan players are struggling to hold onto the ball. They are unable to find the rhythm.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 17′ | Second Goalll!.... for Kuwait

Kuwait break in numbers, Alrashidi coasts into clear space, and Mobarak Al-Faneeni finishes in style.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 21′ | Chance Miss - Pakistan

Muhammad Waheed's header goes wide. It could be the moment for Pakistan but they wasted the opportunity.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 30′ | Water Break

The play resumes after a water break

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 32′ | Pakistan wasting the opportunities for fun

Rahis Nabi is dropping deeper in an attempt to pull the strings from in-between the lines, but the synchronization with Otis and Waheed is lacking.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 35′

A brilliant cross-field ball falls to the feet of Albloushi, but Shayak Dost and Iqbal cut the avenues quickly.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 3 minutes added | 45′

The fourth official indicates three mins of added time.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 45′ | Third Goalll!.... for Kuwait

Good save initially by Yousuf from Salman, but the ball dropped kindly to Mobarak Alfaneeni, who chips it over Yousuf for Kuwait's third.

SAFF Championship 2023: Pakistan (0) vs Kuwait (3): Live Blog | Half-time

A half that has completely been dominated by Kuwait's incisive attacking movements and well-taken finishes. Pakistan have looked like a threat at times but missed so many chances and some miscommunication on the part of Pakistani attackers have seen them draw a blank so far.

SAFF Championship 2023: Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | Second-half | Kick off

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 46′ | Offside

Alfaneeni shows off some impressive skills to slip Salman in, the ball takes a deflection and ends up inside the net, but the linesman raises his flag.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 60′ | Kuwait dominating possession

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 63′ | Double Substitution for Kuwait

Abdullah Alfahad and Athbi Saleh come on for Mahdi Dashti and goalscorer Alanezi.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 66′ | Chance for Pakistan

Great ball into the feet of substitute Muhammad Waleed, who fails to get a proper connection and Bader is brave to rush out and clear.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 69′ | Fourth Goalll!.... for Kuwait

Alrashidi finds space down the right near the edge of the box, a couple of step-overs to wrong-foot Iqbal, and an unerring finish from a challenging angle past Butt! A brilliant goal from relentless Kuwait.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 81′ | Saved

Good save from Yousuf. The ball was struck straight at him and he had to be sharp.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 86′ | Pure domination from Kuwait

Patient build-up from Kuwait, who are stringing the passes together brilliantly, stretching the Pakistan defence, and timing the killer through balls to perfection. Athbi fails to beat the offside trap.

Pakistan vs Kuwait: Live Blog | 90′ | 5 minutes added on

The fourth official indicates five mins of added time.

SAFF Championship 2023: Pakistan (0) vs Kuwait (4): Live Blog | Full-time

Kuwait showed a quality display with a 4-0 win against clueless Pakistan, who desperately need defensive rigidity and need to be clinical in the final third. Three first-half goals allowed Kuwait to give their fringe players a run out in the second half. Alfaneeni impressed with a brace, and the link-up between Alfaneeni, Alrashidi, and Salman is cause for concern for the other teams. With two wins in two, Kuwait are on course to top Group A.