INCHEON, Sept. 14 (Yonhap) -- Saudi Arabia defeated Laos 3-0 to kick off the men's football competition at the 17th Asian Games here on Sunday.
Raed Abdullah Alghamdi converted a penalty in the 75th minute for Saudi Arabia, and Saleh Khalid Al Shehri and Omar Majed Kanabah added a goal apiece for an easy victory in the first Group A match at Munhak Stadium in the Asiad host city, lying just west of SEOUL
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The opening ceremony for the multisport competition will be on Friday, but the football segment for both the men and the women began on Sunday.
The men's team for South Korea will face Malaysia in the other Group A match on Sunday at 5 p.m., also at Munhak. The South Korean women will take on Thailand in their Group A action at 8 p.m. at Namdong RUGBY Field.
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The South Korean men are seeking their first Asiad gold since 1986 while the women are after their maiden Asiad title.
Saudi Arabia was all over Laos for the majority of the match, though its efforts didn't bear fruit until midway through the second half. Alghamdi was brought down in the box by Laos defender Sengdao Inthilath as he drove toward the goal, and later stepped up to take the shot himself and beat the substitute goalkeeper, Vathana Keodouangdeth.
Saudi Arabia kept the pressure on, and it paid off with Al-Shehri's header off Alghamdi's cross in the 86th. Then Kanabah scored the third goal for good measure in injury time.
In other men's matches on Sunday, Tajikistan defeated Singapore 1-0 in Group C, while Iraq hammered Nepal 4-0 in Group D.
In the women's competition, India routed Maldives 15-0 in Group A. Forward Kamala Devi Yumnam and midfielder Sasmita Malik had five goals apiece.
Later on Sunday, Oman and Palestine will meet in the men's Group C match at 5 p.m. Japan and Kuwait square off at 7:30 p.m. in Group D on the men's side.
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