KUWAIT CITY, Jan 31: The 62nd edition of the Amir Cup competition is set to resume today, featuring two exciting quarter-final matches. The first match will witness Al-Qadisiya facing off against Al-Fahaheel at 4:35 pm at Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium. Meanwhile, the second clash between Al-Arabi and Al-Nasr is scheduled for 7:00:50 pm at Thamer Stadium.

In the first encounter, Al-Qadisiya faces a challenging task against Al-Fahaheel to secure a spot in the semi-finals. Despite Al-Qadisiya's previous victories over Al-Fahaheel in the league this season (3-0 and 2-1), the latter forced the former into penalty kicks in the Crown Prince Cup this season. Notably, Al-Qadisiya prevailed in a penalty shootout against Al-Fahaheel in the last edition of the Prince Cup. Al-Fahaheel's convincing performance against Al-Shabab in the preliminary round, where they triumphed 4-1, adds to the anticipation of a competitive match.

Under the guidance of coach Dr. Muhammad Al-Mashaan, Al-Qadisiya enters its second match, with the team eager to satisfy their hungry fans and clinch a title that has eluded them for many years.The second match at Thamer Stadium promises a "special" confrontation, as Al-Arabi aims to reclaim its reputation against "Al-Anabi," who previously defeated them 2-1 in the Zain Premier League—the only loss Al-Arabi has suffered this season.

Al-Arabi is undergoing changes at the professional level, having signed Tunisian Ayman and Algerian Imad Eddine Boubacar in place of Senegalese Mamadou Thiam and Algerian Sofiane Bouchard. However, they will miss the contributions of Moroccan Walid Essabar and Nigerian Anabo Aywala in today's match. Moroccan Hamza Khaba is ready to play, but Al-Arabi will be without Sultan Al-Anazi, Hassan Hamdan, and Salman Al-Awadi due to injuries.

Al-Nasr, under the supervision of coach Zaher Al-Adwani, aims to assert its superiority over Al-Arabi and confirm its dominance over "Al-Akhdar" this season. In today's match, Al-Nasr will be without Syrian Amr Midani, who is on duty with his country's national team in the Asian Cup finals in Qatar. Despite this absence, Al-Nasr possesses distinguished players in various positions capable of advancing in the competition.

Hassan Musa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff