The NMI U17 Men’s National Team faced Kuwait in the Asian Football Confederation U17 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers at the Abdullah Al Khalifa Stadium in Salmiya, Kuwait on Monday, CNMI time.
The NMI U17 Men’s National Team members pose for a group photo at the Asian Football Confederation U17 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers at Abdullah Al Khalifa Stadium in Salmiya, Kuwait.
THE NMI U17 Men’s National Team suffered their third consecutive defeat in the Asian Football Confederation U17 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers at the Abdullah Al Khalifa Stadium in Salmiya, Kuwait on Monday, CNMI time.
The NMI lost to the host, Kuwait, 9-0.
It was another tough match for the NMI but they still put up a fight.
Kuwait played aggressively right from the start and were quickly rewarded with their first goal courtesy of Abdullah Alqarzaei at the 8th minute mark.
The NMI managed to adjust their defensive strategy with some success and withstood most of Kuwait’s attacks for the next 20 minutes. However, the NMI was eventually overwhelmed as the first half progressed with Kuwait scoring four more goals.
Alqarzaei’s second goal at the 30th minute mark was followed by two more goals by teammates Fawaz Aldawood and Abdulrahman Alsuwaidi at the 33rd and 38th minute marks before Alqarzaei completed his hat-trick at the 40th minute mark to give Kuwait a 5-0 lead by halftime.
In the second half, the NMI made some substitutions in the hope that fresh legs would stop the bleeding. But Kuwait still broke through the NMI’s defensive walls with four more goals scored to end the match, 9-0.
Although Team NMI lost all of its three games, the NMI Football Association was happy to see progress and improvement throughout the qualifiers.
In a media release, the NMIFA stated, “In tonight’s match against the host team, Kuwait, the boys fought hard and put up a strong challenge. Unfortunately, the final score was 9-0. Either way, we are incredibly proud of them for pushing their limits and representing the CNMI with pride.”
