Hassan Hamdan celebrates scoring the fourth goal against Tanzania.

CAIRO, Nov 16: Kuwait will complete its final training session this evening ahead of its match against The Gambia tomorrow at Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo, part of the ongoing camp preparing the squad for the Arab Cup playoff against Mauritania on November 25.

Head coach Helio Souza met with the players before yesterday’s session, highlighting the defensive errors that emerged during the first half of the recent friendly against Tanzania—mistakes that led to conceding two early goals. He emphasized the importance of minimizing such lapses and maintaining higher concentration levels to secure a positive outcome.

Despite a shaky start and trailing 0–2 at halftime, Al-Azraq produced an impressive comeback to defeat Tanzania 4–3. Tanzania struck first through Alphonce Mombwa in the 7th minute and Alarakhia in the 35th, during a half in which Kuwait struggled and allowed multiple threats on goalkeeper Khaled Al-Rashidi.

Kuwait responded strongly after the break, dominating possession and overturning the scoreline. Mohammed Daham scored twice in the 46th and 53rd minutes, followed by a goal from Yousef Nasser in the 64th minute. Hassan Hamdan added the fourth in the 69th, before Tanzania narrowed the margin with a late goal from Mombwa two minutes before the final whistle.

The training also included recovery sessions for several players due to the high workload from the match, while others received treatment for minor knocks.

Souza and his coaching staff have also been reviewing Mauritania’s recent performances as part of their preparation for the upcoming playoff. Mauritania drew 1–1 with Tunisia last week, and then suffered a 0–1 defeat to Libya in Tripoli two days ago.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff