Kuwaiti players patently waiting for proceedings to start.

QATAR, Dec 4: Kuwait heads into Saturday’s second Group C match of the Arab Cup knowing that only a win will keep its quarterfinal hopes alive. The national team faces Jordan at 2:00 p.m. at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, while Egypt meets the UAE later in the day at 9:00 p.m. at Lusail Stadium.

Jordan tops the standings with 4 points, followed by Kuwait and Egypt with 1 point each, while the UAE sits last with no points.

Kuwait impressed in its opening match against Egypt, a 1-1 draw marked by a strong second half in which the team took the lead before conceding an equalizer two minutes from time.

Head coach Hélio Sousa and his players know that anything short of victory will damage their qualification chances. The squad is determined to reclaim its momentum and push forward in the competition.

The two sides last met in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with both encounters finishing 1-1. Despite Jordan’s higher ranking, its run to the 2023 Asian Cup final, and historic qualification to the 2026 World Cup, Kuwait was the better side in those previous meetings but fell short of securing a win.

Kuwait will once again rely on the strong support of its fans, while Sousa enters the match with a full squad of 23 trusted players. The coach has been rotating his lineup, making six changes between the playoff against Mauritania and the opening match versus Egypt.

Jordan arrives with high confidence after a 2-1 victory over the UAE in a thrilling encounter. Despite the loss, the UAE delivered an admirable performance, playing more than 75 minutes with 10 men following an early red card to Khalid Al-Zanahani and missing a late first-half penalty through Ali Alwan.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff