Saudi Arabia stuns China 2-1 in the AFC World Cup Qualifier, courtesy of the late goal
A late Hassan Kadesh goal gave Saudi Arabia a win against China 2-1 in an entertaining AFC World Cup qualification match on Tuesday. The pulsating evening that saw the own goal gift China and relentless Saudi Arabia’s attack end up turning fortunes around. The win was vital, and that strength-ens the Saudi Arabian position in this qualification race; meanwhile, China has a lot to think about if they are ever to get back on their feet in this match.
Early Drama: China’s Fortunate Lead
The highly spirited and determined kick-off from both sides saw an energetic bunch in the opening stages of the match, with every player knowing the implication the result had in their World Cup qualification campaigns. The early stages of the match saw China push forward, with an intention to utilize home advantage. They were however rewarded in the 14th minute in the most unlikely of fashions.
A Saudi clearance from a cross saw the ball slice into the net by Ali Lajami, and China was ahead 1-0. The home crowd went into raptures as their team took an advantage, albeit quite fortuitous. Saudi Arabia never lost their composure following that setback and looked to draw level as quickly as possible.
Saudi Arabia’s Response: Resilience Pays Off
Despite going behind early, the players never panicked and kept on raising their tempo in their search for an equalizer. They ran into harsher times in the 19th minute, though, when midfielder Mohammed Kanno was given his marching orders with a straight red card for a dangerous tackle. Now a man down and just when it seemed like nothing was going their way, the Saudis simply got stubborn.
China, however, would have to hope they could capitalize on their supposed numeric advantage and present suitable conditions in their favor. However, Al-Owais and his rearguard repelled Chinese advances. The longer the game wore on, spaces started to appear in the Chinese backline and Saudi Arabia began to counter-attack with increased pace and precision.
It was Saudi’s hard work that bore fruit in the 39th minute, with Hassan Kadesh slotting one past the Chinese keeper at the end of a well-threaded ball to go in at halftime tied 1-1 as the teams retreated to their respective filtered water stations for what would be an action-packed second half.
Second Half: Changes and Missed Chances
The second half kicked off with changes apiece. China, desperate for a way back to the scoresheet, made fresh legs brought in to give the team more pace and creativity to the attack. The Saudis pressed ahead but were repulsed by a firm home rear guard, Wu Lei and Zhang Yuning leading the charge.
But with the disadvantage, Saudi Arabia could always manage to pose a threat through counterattacks. They had added some important substitutions, with the fresh attacking options of Firas Al-Buraikan and Musab Maran being thrown into the fray in the second half, to the detriment of slack China defence.
Wang Shenchao and Xie Weijun were booked in the half as frustrations began boiling in the side that failed to open up Saudi Arabia’s backline. Dominant China was short of cutting edge but pressed with possession to kill the game.
The Decisive Moment: Last-Minute Heroics by Hassan Kadesh
The match had now drawn its way toward seeming a draw as full-time neared, but then Saudi Arabia pulled another surprise. Hassan Kadesh, the hero again, found the back of the net in the 90th minute of play to give Saudi Arabia a dramatic late goal and a 2-1 lead.
Slacking Chinese defending cost them, as Kadesch punished them-showing that much-needed composure in front of goal and throwing the ball into the back of the net. Wild celebrations then erupted on the Saudi bench. This silenced the home crowd as China’s dream of a crucial point took a severe jolt.
Key Moments and Statistics
But China’s early advantage, built when Saudi Arabia’s Ali Lajami scored an own goal in the 14th minute, was frittered away. The red card drama began during the 19th minute when Saudi Arabia was down to 10 men as Mohammed Kanno was given marching orders. But they really fought hard to win. Hassan Kadesh scored both for Saudi Arabia, including a dramatic last-minute winner.
Possession and Shots: China had 55% of the possession count and took 9 shots; however, they could not capitalize on these chances for goals.
Saudi Arabia’s Efficiency: Although Saudi Arabia had fewer shots at goal and played with 10 men throughout the match, it made full utilization of whatever chance it got by keeping 9 shots on target and netting 2 goals.
Road Ahead for Both Teams
It means quite a lot on either side of the road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This hard-won victory raised the confidence level of Saudi Arabia and put them in a good position within the qualification campaign. The team is to try to win the following games with more strength and fresh vigor.
This defeat is a loss for China, too, who had, for most of the time, the numerical advantage in the game but failed to exploit it. It did raise fingers towards their attacking strategy. They will have to get themselves together and find solutions fast if they intend to stick in the competitive race in qualification.
Conclusion: Saudi Arabia’s Grit Triumphs
Finally, Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 victory over China; that sounded strong proof of tenacity, determination, and tactical discipline that Saudis possess. They rose like wounded lions and started swarming forward relentlessly after being down a goal and reduced to 10 men early in the match, snatching a win that looked improbable at that point. Hassan Kadesh’s double, one of them a late winner, will no doubt be discussed as one of their defining moments of the World Cup.
It will serve as a learning curve for China, who will want to make amends in the next match. A long road to the World Cup lies ahead with its many obstacles, but for now, Saudi Arabia goes back home to celebrate a much-deserved three points.
Read more about related articles, just click here
