Kuwait Club’s coach Nebojsa Jovovic

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 19: Kuwait Club’s coach, Montenegrin Nebojsa Jovovic, expressed frustration over missed opportunities in their recent match against Nasaf, highlighting the numerous chances his team failed to capitalize on.

Kuwait Club drew 0-0 with Uzbekistan's Nasaf at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in the first round of Group 4 of the AFC Champions League 2. In the same group, Shabab Al-Ahli of the UAE defeated Al-Hussein Irbid of Jordan 3-1.

In the post-match press conference, Jovovic noted that the "Whites" delivered a solid performance across both halves but lacked the finishing touch, particularly in the second half. Jovovic remained optimistic, stating, "The journey to qualify for the second round is still long, and I have faith in our players' ability to perform better in the upcoming matches." Nasaf's coach, Ruzikul Berdiyev, acknowledged the challenging conditions of the match, citing the hot weather as one of the most difficult the players have faced in a long time. He viewed the draw as a positive result against a team of Kuwait Club’s caliber.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Club Board Member and Vice President of the Football Department, Adel Aqla, criticized the Asian Football Confederation for not implementing video assistant referee (VAR) technology in the group stage of the AFC Champions League 2. Aqla commented, "We are surprised that VAR is only used in the elite Champions League. We should learn from other federations and apply it across all AFC tournaments." He also mentioned, "The referee missed a clear penalty kick," but praised the team's performance in the match, expressing confidence in their ability to advance further in the tournament.

By Hassan Musa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff