Impossible task: Kitchee draw 1-1 with Al Kuwait but lose 7-1 on aggregate in AFC Cup quarter-final
First leg loss gave local team too tough a hurdle to overcome when they hosted vistors in second leg at Mong Kok
Kitchee failed to recover from a first leg deficit as they managed a 1-1 draw against visiting Al Kuwait in the AFC Cup quarter-finals at Mong Kok Stadium last night, losing 7-1 on aggregate.
After losing 6-0 in Kuwait City last month, the home side needed to at least equal that score to stand any chance of progressing.
Paulo Carreiro, who is likely to become the latest naturalised player for Hong Kong, gave the hosts some early delight with a goal on nine minutes.
But Kitchee still needed six more to reach the next round after losing 6-0 in the away leg to the Kuwait side last month.
Their hopes were dashed after Fahad Al-Hajeri levelled the score five minutes after the break, forcing Kitchee to follow South China's exit from the AFC Cup.
The Caroliners were beaten 3-1 by Malaysian side Johor Darul Tazim in an earlier last-eight tie on Tuesday at Mong Kok Stadium, with an aggregate score of 4-2.