Mohammed Al-Shuraifi

CAIRO, Nov 10: Kuwait will kick off its training camp in Cairo this evening, running until November 20. The camp includes two friendly matches — against Tanzania on November 14 and Gambia on November 18 — as part of preparations for the Arab Cup playoff against Mauritania on November 25 in Doha, Qatar.

Head coach Hélio Sousa has named a 23-player squad, featuring Saud Al-Hoshan, Khaled Al-Rashidi, Suleiman Abdulghafour, Hassan Hamdan, Fahad Al-Hajri, Rashid Al-Dosari, Moaz Al-Dhafiri, Nasser Khudr, Mohammed Al-Shuraifi, Khaled Sabah, Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi, Nasser Faleh, Athbi Shehab, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Fawaz Ayedh, Sultan Al-Anzi, Reda Hani, Moaz Al-Asimah, Mohammed Daham, Eid Al-Rashidi, Youssef Majid, Youssef Nasser, and Shabib Al-Khaldi.

Sousa made significant adjustments to the roster, omitting 11 players from last month’s squad that faced Uzbekistan and Morocco’s B team — including Saud Al-Qanaei, Abdulrahman Ajaj, Mishari Ghanem, Mohammed Khaled, Khaled Ibrahim, Khaled Al-Murshid, Mahdi Dashti, Bader Tariq, Talal Al-Qaisi, Salman Al-Awadhi, and Ahmed Al-Zanki.

The new list introduces fresh talent and returning stars. Among the new faces is Qadsia’s rising midfielder Mohammed Al-Shuraifi, rewarded for his standout performances in the Zain Premier League, while Kazma’s Nasser Faleh makes a long-awaited comeback to the national side.

Several key players also return from injury, including Mohammed Daham, Eid Al-Rashidi, and Shabib Al-Khaldi — the latter back in action after serving a suspension that ended in August. The squad also welcomes the return of Suleiman Abdulghafour, Moaz Al-Dhafiri, and Youssef Majid.

Meanwhile, Mauritania’s Spanish coach Artiz López Garai has unveiled his squad for a preparatory camp that includes friendlies against Tunisia and Libya, ahead of the crucial playoff against Kuwait.

His lineup features:

Goalkeepers: Babacar Niasse, Babacar Diop, and Abdulrahman Sarr.

Defenders: Khadim Diaw, Al-Damine Al-Salek, Noah Mohammed Al-Obeid, Lamine Ba, Mohammed Ramadan Zouid, Mohammed Sarr, Abdullah Al-Eid, and Ibrahim Keita.

Midfielders: Mactar Magassa, Bakary Kamara, Al-Hassan Al-Eid, Kassouma Fofana, Abdulrahman Soumare, Mohammed Saeed, Amr Haidara, and Yaacoub Sidi.

Forwards: Al-Mamy Tetah, Mamadou Sy, Ahmed Salem Mubarak, Ahmed Sidi Moussa, Amr Sidi Bona, Idrissa Thiam, and Ahmed Al-Mukhtar.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff