By B Izzak

KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi asked the Public Authority of Sports to contact Kuwait Football Association to launch an investigation into the poor organization of the Iraq-Kuwait football match on Tuesday night. The historical game between the archrivals was held at Jaber Stadium under extremely high temperatures without providing outlets to sell water, forcing fans to shout “we need water” most of the time.

In addition, it was alleged that although the football authorities issued only 50,000 tickets, around 80,000 fans were allowed into the stadium. In his letter, the minister called for taking the necessary legal measures against those found responsible for the poor organization.

The game, part of the Asian qualification for World Cup 2026, ended in a goalless draw. Iraq, the current Arabian Gulf Cup champions, found themselves a player down from the seventh minute, when Rebin Sulaka was eventually shown a straight red for tripping Kuwait captain Yousef Nasser as he was running through on goal.

The original decision was a yellow, but upon consulting VAR and watching back the incident, the referee upgraded the punishment. However, Iraq held on for a draw, meaning they sit third in Group B, level on four points with South Korea and Jordan above them. Kuwait are fourth.