Bader Al-Mutawa

KUWAIT CITY, July 20: Al-Salmiya is on the verge of completing contracts with several foreign players, most notably Syrian international Mahmoud Al-Aswad, with negotiations between both sides reaching advanced stages.

Al-Aswad, an attacking midfielder and forward, previously represented Zakho in Iraq and Al-Karamah in Syria, having joined the senior squad at just 16 years old. He has played for various Syrian national teams since 2019, making his senior debut in 2022.

Earlier, Al-Salmiya finalized the signing of Jordanian Hussam Abu Dhahab, a former player for Al-Faisaly who has represented Jordan internationally.

Head coach Nasser Al-Shatti is seeking to complete additional deals to strengthen the squad ahead of the new season. The club has already renewed the contracts of key players, including Tunisian Imad Louati, Brazilian Alex Lima, and Libyan Al-Sanousi Al-Hadi.

Preseason training will officially begin next Saturday, followed by an external training camp in Turkey starting August 15, in preparation for the start of the Zain Premier League on September 12.

Al-Qadsiya captain Bader Al-Mutawa rejoined his team during a training session held at the late Farouk Ibrahim Stadium. Al-Mutawa had missed the start of preseason, which began last Wednesday, due to personal reasons.

Also returning to action was goalkeeper Hamid Al-Qallaf, who signed with the club after a two-year absence from competitive football.

Moroccan forward Ismail Khafi, despite speculation surrounding his future, also participated in training. Though there had been talk of contract termination, he received the green light from head coach Nabil Maaloul and is now likely to remain with the team through the upcoming season.

French-Guinean player Hassame Fadiga has joined Al-Arabi’s training camp, becoming the club’s fourth foreign signing. He joins Ugandan Kenneth Semakula and Nigerians Ayano Iwala and Christopher John.

The club still has one foreign player slot available, with Jordanian international Ali Alwan emerging as a leading candidate to fill that position.

In domestic transfers, Al-Arabi also strengthened its lineup by signing Aziz Nassari, who has previous experience with Al-Qadsiya and Al-Tadamon.

The team will continue local training until next Thursday before heading to the UAE for an external training camp, which will include three friendly matches. Following that, Al-Arabi will travel to the Maldives, where they will face Maziya Sports in a crucial AFC Challenge League play-off on August 12, with the winner advancing to the group stage.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff