Hawsawi scored a brace as Saudi Arabia recorded a 2-1 win over Kuwait in a friendly soccer match played at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Tuesday. Al-Hawsawi put the home team in front shortly after the break before Ahmed Ajab equalized for Kuwait few minutes later. Al-Hawsawi scored his second goal 10 minutes after the equalizer to seal the win for host. The match was scheduled as part of the two nations' preparations for the 2010 World Cup Asian qualifiers. The win is the second of the Saudi team in four days after it won its first match against Syria 1-0 at the same venue on Saturday. Defender Osamah Al-Mouallad scored the only goal against Syria in the 17th minute. Saudi team coach Dos Anjos started the match with an ideal squad to face Lebanon in its third match in Group D on June 2. Veteran striker Yasser Al-Qahtani, who missed the first friendly against Syria, was in top shape and was the first to threaten the Kuwaitis when the bar denied his 18th minute free kick. Kuwait deepened on counterattacks as the team pulled back to stop the Saudi opportunities. In the 33rd minute, Kuwait striker Fahd Al-Rashisi, who plays for Saudi club Al-Hazm, sent a 20-yard shot few inches from the Saudi team's left post. Things began to change after the break when Al-Hawsawi broke the deadlock in the 50th minute after a solo effort inside the box. Kuwaiti young striker who was recently nominated for the list of the 2008 AFC player of the year equalized six minutes later after he hit the ball into the advancing Saudi goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah. Hawsawi sealed the win for the Saudi team in the 65th minute. Sweden beats Slovenia Midfielder Tobias Linderoth returned from a long injury absence to score Sweden's only goal in a 1-0 friendly win over Slovenia on Monday. Linderoth, who has battled a hip injury and had not played for his country since the 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland in a Euro 2008 qualifier in October, picked up a flicked pass by Christian Wilhelmsson in the 41st minute inside the penalty box. He dribbled past Slovenia's goalkeeper and managed to stay on his feet after tripping over the keeper and then finally forced the ball into the net. Japan wins Kirin Cup In Japan, the home team was held to a goalless draw by Paraguay in a friendly on Tuesday but the result was good enough for the host to win the three-nation Kirin Cup. Japan beat Ivory Coast 1-0 at the weekend after Paraguay had drawn 1-1 with the Africans in the tournament's opening game last Thursday. – Agencies __
