China scored twice in the second half on Saturday to beat 10-man Kuwait 2-0 in the Asian Cup group stage.
Zhang Linpeng scored in the 57th minute after his powerful shot from 30 meters (yards) took a deflection off a Kuwaiti player. China sealed the Group A victory with a 66th-minute free kick by midfielder Deng Zhuoxiang.
''I am very happy to win this match because the first match is always very hard,'' China coach Gao Hongbao said. ''The first 30 minutes Kuwait did very well, but after that our team controlled the match.''
Kuwait started off confidently against a young Chinese squad with little experience in international competition.
Kuwaiti defender Mesad Nada was sent off for kicking China striker Yang Xu in the 34th. The incident followed a tackle involving the two players on the edge of the pitch.
China scored its first goal after taking full advantage of Kuwait's depleted side and breaking a shaky defense with ease.
''This match was marked by our player's sending off,'' said Goran Tufegdzic, Kuwait's Serbian coach. ''Before (that) our team was a better team with good possession of the ball and after that China controlled the match.''
Kuwait was the second Gulf team to lose in the tiny state of Qatar that was last month awarded the 2022 World Cup. On Friday, Uzbekistan beat Qatar 2-0 in the tournament's opening game.
In the last Asian Cup, China failed to advance from the group stage. Gao, who has been credited for much of the improvement in Chinese football, said he did not underestimate Group A rivals Qatar and Uzbekistan.
''All teams (in the group) are very strong and anything can happen,'' Gao said, adding that he would use the tournament to let his young players - all under 30 - ''prove themselves'' as well as ''test the Chinese football style.''
Kuwait can still advance in the tournament, its coach said.
''This match changed everything for us, but still we have a big chance,'' Tufegdzic said. ''I am generally satisfied how we played, despite the absence of one player.''
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Lineups:
Kuwait: Nawaf al-Khaldi, Yacoub al-Taher, Hussein Fadhel, Amer Matoug, Mesad Neda, Fahad al-Enzi, Talal al-Amer, Walied Ali (Abdul Aziz Mashan, 71), Jarah al-Ateeqi, Yousef Naser (Fahad Awad, 37), Bader al-Mutwa.
China: Yang Zhi, Du Wei, Zhao Peng (Liu Jianye, 59), Zhang Linpeng, Rong Hao, Yang Hao, Zhao Xuri (Yu Tao, 76), Qu Bo (Hao Junmin, 45), Yu Hai, Deng Zhuoxiang, Yang Xu.
