AFC Cup: New Radiant 2 Al Kuwait 7
Issam Jemaa scored four goals as defending champions Al Kuwait beat New Radiant 7-2 in their quarter-final first-leg AFC Cup tie.
The striker was in excellent form as he helped his side move to within touching distance of the last four, with Rogerinho and Chedi Hammami also getting on the scoresheet.
Both sides headed into the game having topped their respective groups, New Radiant scoring 20 goals and suffering just one loss.
However, the Maldivian outfit were brought back down to earth at the Rasmee Dhandu Stadium and their hopes of reaching the semi-finals now look slim.
Brazilian attacker Rogerinho opened the scoring after just two minutes, the 26-year-old rounding off a slick move from the visitors, before Hammami doubled their advantage 13 minutes later.
The Kuwaiti champions continued to flood forward, and 29 minutes in they put the game beyond all doubt as Jemaa - who scored six times in the group stage - continued his fine form with two goals in quick succession.
Marin Ion's men showed no signs of letting up and they made it 6-0 before the interval, Jemaa completing his hat-trick with a header, before the former Lens and Auxerre man netted his fourth in the dying seconds of the first half.
The hosts did display some resiliency in the second half, and they reduced the deficit with strikes from Ali Fasir and Ali Ashfaq, who scored his ninth goal of the competition.
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Still they continued to struggle defensively, and the rout was completed seven minutes from time as Hammami slotted home his second from the penalty spot.
Both sides were reduced to 10 men in the closing stages, with Mohamed Umair sent-off for New Radiant, while Abdulhadi Khamis was dismissed for the visitors.