In this file photo, Al-Qadsia and Kuwait Club vie for the ball during a league match.

KUWAIT CITY, May 28: Soccer fans are eagerly anticipating the highly awaited 'Classico between Al-Qadsia and Kuwait Club at 8:30 pm at Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium in the semi-finals of the Amir Cup today.

The other semifinal will see Al-Arabi face Al-Salmiya on Friday, also at 8:30 pm at the same venue.

Kuwait Club reached this stage by defeating Al-Jazeera 3-0 in the preliminary round and edging Khaitan 1-0 in the quarter-finals.

Al-Qadsia advanced after a 3-2 win over Burgan in the preliminaries, followed by a dominant 3-0 victory against Al-Fahaheel in the quarters.

This will be the fourth face-off between the two rivals this season. In the Zain Premier League, Kuwait Club claimed two victories (3-1 and 1-0), while Al-Qadsia earned a 2-1 win.

The two also met in the Super Cup final, where Kuwait Club lifted the trophy after a 1-1 draw and a 7-6 penalty shootout victory.

Having already won the league, Crown Prince Cup, and Super Cup, Kuwait Club aims to complete a remarkable season by reaching the final and securing a fourth trophy.

Coach Nebojsa Jovovic acknowledges the challenge, noting Al-Qadsia’s recent form improvement and determination to defend their title.

He will rely on a strong squad featuring:

Meshari Ghannam, Yahya Jabran, Yousef Nasser, Ali Hussein, Reda Hani, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Amin Abu Al-Fath, Mohammed Marhoon, Mohammed Daham, and Ahmed Al-Zanki.

Reigning champion Al-Qadsia is determined to end the season on a high, return to the final, and defend its Amir Cup crown. Despite a rough patch earlier in the season, the team rebounded with an impressive quarter-final win over Al-Fahaheel, who had recently beaten it 7-4 in league play.

Coach Zeljko Petrovic, whose contract expires on Saturday, hopes to cap off his tenure with a title run, though he hinted at staying on if the team reaches the final.

His key players include: Bader Al-Mutawa, Eid Al-Rashidi, Ismail Khafi, Hussein Dahiri, Mubarak Al-Fanini, Abdulaziz Wadi, Khaled Sabah, Al-Mahdi Barahma, Daniel Jibola, and Adhbi Shehab.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff