JEDDAH: Kuwait lifted Gulf Cup for the 10th time after winning on an extra-time goal over Saudi Arabia in the final of the 20th championship at the May 22 Stadium in Aden Sunday. Striker Waleed Ali scored the all-important goal in the 95th minute. Saudi Arabia was going for its fourth Gulf Cup crown, but was stymied by a stingy Kuwait defense that yielded only two goals in the tournament. President of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, handed the gold medals to Kuwaiti players and the cup to Kuwait skipper Nawaf Al-Khaledi. Saudi Arabia was awarded with the silver medals and the Fair Play Cup. Three Kuwaiti players won special awards as striker Badr Al-Muttawa emerged as the top scorer with three goals, goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Khaledi won the best keeper prize and Fahd Al-Enezi was adjudged as the best player of the tournament. President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Mohammed Bin Hammam and Sheikh Fahd Al-Ahmed of Kuwait, Member of the International Olympic Committee, were also present on the final day of the tournament. With its 4-5-1 formation, Saudi players started pressing on their opponents in an attempt to get an early goal. However, the Kuwait defenders were firm enough. The only dangerous green attack was in the 15th minute when Misha'al Al-Saeed, from the left, passed into the box to Mohanned Aseeri. The latter nudged toward the goal but Kuwait's goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Khaledi managed to collect the ball. Seven minutes later, Kuwait defender Hussein Fadil's header off a free-kick hit the left post of Saudi keeper Assaf Al-Qarni. In the 33rd minute, the goalpost denied a blues' attempt of left midfielder Ali. From a corner kick, minutes later, the Saudi crossbar also helped the greens avoid a goal from striker Yusuf Nassir . In the 65th minute, Saudi coach, Jose Peseiro, revived his team's midfield by replacing Ahmed Abbas with Sultan Al-Numari. Receiving the ball outside the box, Numari kicked strongly. However, the ball narrowly missed the target. Serbian coach of Kuwait Goran Tufegdzic made a change to refresh the blue team's frontline by replacing Yusuf Nassir with Hamad Al-Enezi. Three minutes into the first extra half, midfielder Waleed Ali clinched the winner after Saudi defender Osama Al-Muallad failed to clear the ball. Ali seized the ball and after advancing into the box fired powerfully into the goal.
