Nabil Maaloul

KUWAIT CITY, June 15: Al-Qadsiya Club has officially announced that preseason training will kick off on July 16 under the leadership of newly appointed Tunisian coach Nabil Maaloul. The decision comes following the departure of Montenegrin coach Zeljko Petrovic, who failed to deliver results last season.

The club endured a disappointing campaign, exiting all four domestic tournaments, including the Gulf Champions League, where they fell 2-1 in the second leg of the final against Iraq’s Duhok (1-1 first leg). The team is counting on Maaloul to bring back the club’s former glory and fulfill fans' aspirations for silverware.

As part of their rebuilding plan, Al-Qadsiya renewed the contract of goalkeeper Ali Jarrah for four seasons through 2029 and midfielder Abdulaziz Wadi for five seasons. The club also signed defender Ahmed Al-Yahya, who played last season with Al-Nasr.

Jarrah, 28, was rumored to be leaving the club after the expiration of his contract and was close to signing with Kazma. However, successful negotiations led to his renewal, especially after the departure of veteran goalkeeper Khaled Al-Rashidi. Meanwhile, Hameed Al-Qallaf is expected to rejoin training after a two-year absence.

The future of the team’s four foreign professionals — Moroccans Ismail Khafi and Mehdi Berhama, Libyan Mohamed Soula, and Nigerian Daniel Gibola — remains undecided. Their status will depend on evaluations by Coach Maaloul. However, Algerian defender Hussein Dhiri has already been released after failing to impress.

Meanwhile, former Al-Qadsiya coach Zeljko Petrovic has signed with Al Dhafra in the UAE. The club recently secured promotion to the UAE Pro League and will look to Petrovic for leadership in their return to top-flight football.