Kuwait SC thrash Churchill in AFC Cup

Churchill Brothers, having already made it to the next round, suffered a humiliating 1-7 thrashing at the hands of defending champions Kuwait SC in their last AFC Cup group match in Kuwait City on Wednesday night.

The Goa team finished as Group B runners-up with seven points from four matches, behind Kuwait SC (eight points), as both teams made it to the round of 16.

The result at Kuwait SC stadium meant that Churchill will not play their single-leg pre-quarter-final match at home.

Under AFC rules, the top team in each of the eight groups plays its single-leg pre-quarter-final match at home and Churchill could have earned that right had they even drawn with Kuwait SC.

Khaled Ajab (9th, 35th, 50th, 57th minutes) scored four goals, including a hat-trick, while Rogerinho Coutinho (76th, 90+1) struck twice and Rodrigo Vergilio (28th) once.

Nascimento Silveira scored the only goal for Churchill in the 48th minute.

Kuwait SC started the match on an attacking note and nearly scored after just six minutes when Waleed Ali crossed into the Churchill area but their Brazilian import Vergilio shot over the bar from close range.

The hosts, however, did not have to wait long as Ajab capitalised on a neat pass off Ali in the ninth minute to bulge the net.

Kuwait SC scored their second goal in the 28th minute following a quick counter-attack led by Bashar Abdullah, who gave a pass to Vergilio and the Brazilian striker's left-footer beat Churchill custodian Arindam Bhattacharya.

Ajab again found the target off an Abdullah pass 10 minutes before the breather to swell the scoreline as Kuwait SC led 3-0 at half-time.

Churchill pulled a goal back four minutes after the break when Nascimento reacted fast to a poor clearance from Musab Al Kandari and slotted the ball into the net.

Ajab completed his hat-trick in the 50th minute when he connected a Careca pass into the Churchill net and then again struck seven minutes later.

But the scoring spree did not end there as Rogerinho found the net twice -- in the 76th minute and a minute into injury time -- to round off the tally.