Sport | Football
Goalkeepers help Oman and Kuwait win
It is not really commonplace for a goalkeeper to be considered the main reason for a team's victory. Afterall, they are not the ones meant to score goals - except in very rare cases.
- By Yasir Abbasher, Senior Reporter
- Published: 23:38 January 8, 2009
Muscat: It is not really commonplace for a goalkeeper to be considered the main reason for a team's victory. Afterall, they are not the ones meant to score goals - except in very rare cases.
But Ali Al Habsi, of Oman, and Nawaf Al Khaldi of Kuwait, played a big role in leading their teams to winning important points in the Gulf Cup. It was natural that both players have won the MVP award in their matches with the their teams in Group A of the competition.
Al Habsi, who plays in the English Premier League for Bolton and has renewed his contract with them for four more years starting this month, displayed what a great goalkeeper he is in the opening match, which ended in a goalless tie with Kuwait.
If it wasn't for Al Habsi, the hosts would have found themselves losing even the single point they won.
But Al Habsi was in a class of his own in the team's next and crucial match against reigning Asian Cup winners Iraq. They won 4-0 thanks to Al Habsi's efforts.
Oman led with a single goal from Hassan Rabei but Iraq was awarded a penalty, which could have changed the outcome of the match if it wasn't for Al Habsi, who saved brilliantly to raise the morale of his colleagues and make the Iraqis surrender their fight.
From that point, Oman dominated the match totally while Iraq were reduced to 10 men, after Jasim Mohammad became the third Iraqi to receive a red card in two matches, as a result of the pressure which piled on the players following the squandering of the penalty by Hawar Mulla Mohammad, another Europe-based player.
The save made by Al Habis led to many other saves and he continued to shine.
In the second match of the group, Al Khaldi was a one-man team against Bahrain.
The goalkeeper made no less than six critical saves in the second half.
Al Khaldi was also his team's best player in the opening day against the hosts but the MVP award went to Al Habsi on Wednesday.
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