Kuwait at full strength for Gulf Cup 27 opener against Saudi Arabia

KUNA photos Kuwait’s Consul General in Jeddah and Permanent Representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Yousuf Al-Tunaib, accompanied by consulate staff, visited the Kuwait delegation at its training ground.

JEDDAH, Sept 21: Kuwait enters its Gulf Cup 27 opener against host Saudi Arabia tomorrow with a full squad after Yousif Nasser and Mohsen Falah returned to training in Jeddah.

The duo joined the team’s sessions at the auxiliary pitch of King Abdullah Sports City after recovering from muscle strains. Their participation against Saudi Arabia will be determined by head coach Hélio Sousa and his technical staff.

Kuwait and Saudi Arabia will meet in the opening round of Group A, while Iraq and Oman face each other in the other group match.

Sousa closed yesterday’s training session to the media as he focused on putting the finishing touches to his preparations. Journalists will be allowed to attend today’s final training session in line with tournament regulations.

The Portuguese coach will use the session to assess the players’ readiness and work on tactical details before deciding on his starting lineup and match approach.

Saudi Arabia coach Georgios Donis also closed his team’s training session yesterday. Al-Ahli players Rayan Hamid, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, Zakaria Al-Hawsawi, Ziyad Al-Jahni and Firas Al-Buraikan joined the Saudi camp after completing their club’s participation in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. Mukhtar Ali was also called up as a replacement for Musab Al-Juwair.

Kuwait’s Consul General in Jeddah and Permanent Representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Yousuf Al-Tunaib, accompanied by members of the consulate, visited the Kuwait delegation at its training ground the day before yesterday.

Al-Tunaib highlighted the importance of Kuwait’s participation in the Gulf Cup and of strengthening the presence of Kuwaiti sport at major sporting events.

Speaking to KUNA, he wished the national team success and expressed hope that it would achieve results befitting the stature and history of Kuwaiti football in the tournament.

He also praised Saudi Arabia’s preparations to host Gulf Cup 27, commending the high level of organization and facilities provided for the participating teams and delegations.

Al-Tunaib said he was confident the efforts would help ensure a successful tournament, given Saudi Arabia’s capabilities and experience in hosting major sporting events.

The pre-match press conference will be held at 11:30 am today, with Sousa, Donis, and one player from each team attending. A technical meeting will precede the press conference and will cover match-day details, including the colors of the teams’ kits.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff