Kazma without Shaabi and Robson for Erbil clash

Brazilian Patrick Robson among Kazma's key absentees.

BAGHDAD, Nov 2: Kazma will wrap up its preparations on Tuesday in Erbil, Iraq, ahead of Wednesday’s third-round Group C meeting with Erbil in the Gulf Club Champions League. The team will train at Hindreen Stadium for its final session before the match.

The Orange is looking to get its campaign back on track and secure its first points after losing its opening two games, 2-0 to Saudi Arabia's Ettifaq and 2-1 to the UAE's Ajman. The results have left Kazma at the bottom of the group with no points.

Its hopes of reaching the next round remain alive, as the competition sends the top two teams from each of the three groups, along with the two best third-placed sides, into the next stage. Nevertheless, Kazma needs a positive result against Erbil, leaving Croatian coach Dragan Tadić with the task of finding the right combination to deliver the desired outcome.

Kazma will be without two foreign players for the encounter. Algerian defender Idris Shaabi is suspended after his dismissal in the opening-round match against Ettifaq, while Brazilian forward Patrick Robson is sidelined with a fractured hand. Robson has a cast on his hand and is expected to miss two weeks of training.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Club will also complete its preparations for Wednesday’s  AFC Champions League Two Group A fixture against Uzbekistan's Nasaf Qarshi at Jaber Al-Mubarak Stadium.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff