Kuwait Disqualified from 2004 Athens Olympic Football Competition

Kuwait's U-23 football team lost 1-2 to Iraq and was disqualified from the 2004 Athens Olympic football competition. Kuwait, which had only secured one point from its match against Saudi Arabia in Group 3, lost all hope of participating in the Olympic Games with this defeat. According to IRNA news agency, the match was held tonight (Wednesday night) at the 'Emir Mohammed' sports stadium in Jordan, officiated by referees from Singapore. In this group, besides Kuwait, Saudi Arabia's U-23 team has four points and Oman has three points, trailing behind Iraq with six points. The match between Saudi Arabia and Oman will be held shortly to determine the group leader. Following the poor performances of Kuwait's national and U-23 teams, officials of the country dismissed Brazilian head coach Paulo Cesar Carpeggiani last week. Two months ago, in the 16th Gulf Cup held in Kuwait, the national team finished sixth. The Kuwait Football Federation also appointed a local coach to replace Carpeggiani as the head coach of the national and U-23 teams earlier this week. 'Mohammad Ibrahim,' who has been selected as the new head coach of Kuwait's national and U-23 teams, is the 30th coach in the history of the national football of the country. He has played his entire football career at the Al-Qadsiah Club in Kuwait.