Kuwait and Saudi Arabia renew Gulf Cup rivalry

Kuwait preparing the opener.

JEDDAH, Sept 22: Gulf football fans will turn their attention to Jeddah today as Kuwait takes on host Saudi Arabia in a much-anticipated Gulf derby at 9:00 pm at King Abdullah Sports City in the opening round of Group A at the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup (Gulf Cup 27 – Gulf of Arab Lands).

Iraq and Oman will kick off the group’s action at 5:30 pm at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium.

The Kuwait-Saudi clash promises a competitive encounter, with both sides looking to make a strong start to their Gulf Cup campaign.

Kuwait coach Hélio Sousa knows the importance of the opening game, with a victory providing a valuable boost and putting the team in a strong position in the race for a semifinal place.

Sousa has named a 27-man squad featuring Khaled Al-Rashidi, Saud Al-Houshan, Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, Rakan Al-Saeed, Fahad Al-Hajeri, Khaled Sabah, Yousif Al-Haqqan, Abdulaziz Naji, Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi, Rashed Al-Dosari, Muath Al-Dhafiri, Mohsen Falah, Reda Hani, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Khaled Al-Murshid, Jassem Al-Matar, Athbi Shehab, Abdullah Al-Qarzai, Nasser Faleh, Mahdi Dashti, Eid Al-Rashidi, Yousif Majid, Mohammed Daham, Mubarak Al-Fanini, Abdullah Al-Awadhi, Shabib Al-Khaldi and Yousif Nasser.

Kuwait has enjoyed an extended preparation period, beginning its camp on September 7 with two training sessions before moving to Doha for a camp that ran until September 16.

The Blues beat Qatari club Lusail 2-1 in a friendly during the Doha camp before traveling to Jeddah. Eight Kuwait Club players joined the squad later after their AFC Champions League Two commitments.

Kuwait then faced Yemen in a four-period training match last Friday, losing 2-1 in a game that allowed Sousa to field all his players.

The team enters the opener at full strength after Yousif Nasser and Mohsen Falah recovered from their injuries. Sousa has used the final training sessions to fine-tune his tactics and select his starting lineup.

Saudi Arabia will look to capitalize on home advantage and strong fan support as they seek a winning start.

Coach Georgios Donis is aware of the expectations surrounding the hosts, who are chasing a Gulf Cup title that has eluded them for 23 years. Hosting the tournament in Jeddah provides another opportunity to challenge for the trophy after Saudi Arabia failed to win the title on home soil in 2014.

The host will be without several key players, including Salem Al-Dawsari, Saud Abdulhamid, and Musab Al-Juwair. However, Donis can call on a number of talented players, including Rayan Hamed, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, Zakaria Al-Hawsawi, Ziyad Al-Juhani, Firas Al-Buraikan, Hassan Al-Tambakti, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Nawaf Boushal, Hassan Kadesh, Moteb Al-Harbi, Mohammed Kanno, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, and Abdullah Al-Hamdan.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff