Kuwait captain Bader Al-Mutawa had matched Egyptian legend Ahmed Hassan’s record for the most international appearances made by a player in football history.
Al-Mutawa made his 184th appearance for the Blue Wave in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Chinese Taipei in a 2022 Fifa World Cup qualification encounter played at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium.
In the process, he equalled the mark set by the four-time Africa Cup of Nations winner, who played his last game for the Pharaohs in May 2012.
The Asian side marked the 36-year-old’s milestone with a victory, as Yousef Nasser’s brace helped Andres Carrasco’s men subdue Vom Ca-nhum’s team.
The Kuwait Football Association went on social media to felicitate with the former Qadsia and Al Nassr goal machine on his achievement.
“The chairman of the board of directors of the Kuwait Football Association, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Yousef Al-Sabah, and the members of the board of directors congratulate the captain of the national team Bader Al-Mutawa, on the occasion of his participation in the 184th international match, equalling the number of the dean of the Egyptian player, Ahmed Hassan,” an Instagram post from the Kuwait FA read.
Al-Mutawa made his debut for Kuwait at the age of 17 on September 4, 2003 – making him one of the national team’s youngest players to represent the senior team.
He scored his first goal as Kuwait silenced Saudi Arabia 2-1 during an Arabia Gulf Cup encounter on December 14, 2004.
Al-Mutawa impressed at the competition, forming a strike partnership with star striker Bashar Abdullah – managing five goals between them.
Also, the forward established himself as an indispensable part of the Kuwait team that won the 2010 West Asian Football Federation Championship hosted by Jordan.
The same year, he was instrumental as the county defeated Saudi Arabia on penalties to lift the Arabian Gulf Cup diadem.
Al-Mutawa will eclipse Hassan’s record if he is dressed for action in an Arab Cup game versus Bahrain on June 25.
Kuwait are currently second behind Australia in Group B of Asia's qualification to Qatar 2022 - tied on 14 points with Jordan after eight matches.
Even at that, they are unlikely to qualify for the global football showpiece, although that position would automatically guarantee them a place in the Asian Cup qualifying third round.
