Players fighting for the ball.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 22: Al-Shamiya secured a spot in the final playoff round against Al-Jazeera next Thursday for a place in the Crown Prince Cup, following a 3–1 victory over Sporty at Abdullah Al-Khalifa Stadium.

The winner of the Al-Shamiya vs. Al-Jazeera match will advance to the main tournament, scheduled to begin in January.

Sporty initially took the lead through Ibrahim Al-Tamimi in the 14th minute, but Al-Shamiya responded quickly, with Khaled Fahd equalizing just two minutes later. Fawaz Al-Rashidi then sealed the win with two late goals in the 77th and 86th minutes.

Both Al-Shamiya and Sporty are participating in the tournament for the first time, while Al-Jazeera competed last season but was eliminated in the preliminary round by Kuwait Club.

The Football Association’s Competitions Committee arranged the playoff matches among the three teams to determine the 16 clubs that will advance to the Round of 16 in January.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff