Kuwait Club, Kazma gear up for Asian and Gulf clashes as Arabi travels to Tajikistan; Qadsia trains at Mishref

Qadsia steps up preparations for AFC Challenge League.

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 12: Kuwait Club and Kazma will complete their final training sessions today ahead of crucial continental and regional assignments tomorrow, while Arabi head to Tajikistan to begin their AFC Challenge League campaign.

Kuwait Club will host Bahrain’s Khalidiya at Jaber Al-Mubarak Stadium in the second round of Group A in the AFC Champions League Two, seeking to bounce back from their 3-2 defeat to UAE side Al-Wahda in the opening round. Khalidiya began their campaign with a goalless draw against Uzbekistan’s Nasaf Qarshi.

The Whites will take confidence from their recent league form after moving to the top of the Zain Premier League standings with 10 points.

Khalidiya arrived in Kuwait two days ago and will hold its main training session at the match venue today.

Meanwhile, Kazma will travel to Saudi Arabia to face Ettifaq on Tuesday in the opening round of the Gulf Club Champions League, marking its return to the competition after a lengthy absence. The Orange will wrap up its preparations today before the away encounter.

Qadsia, meanwhile, has stepped up its preparations for the AFC Challenge League after shifting its focus from domestic action. The Yellow sits second in the Zain Premier League, just one point behind leader Kuwait Club.

Qadsia will host Group C matches from October 17 to 23, with India’s Goa, Bangladesh’s Fortis and Tajikistan’s Regar-TadAZ completing the lineup.

The team is training at Abdullah Al-Khalifa Stadium at Yarmouk Club in accordance with an AFC decision. Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium will be reserved exclusively for the group matches, while training sessions for the four participating teams will be held at Yarmouk Stadium and Thamer Stadium.

In another development, Arabi will depart for Tajikistan today for their Group B campaign in the AFC Challenge League, which runs from October 17 to 23. Their opponents are Syria’s Homs Al-Fida, Tajikistan’s Istiklol Dushanbe, and Lebanon’s Al-Najma.

The Green Army head into the tournament amid a disappointing start to their domestic season. They have yet to register a victory in their first four Zain Premier League matches, recording three draws and one defeat. The poor run has left them 10th in the standings on four points, level with Sulaibikhat.

The results have prompted the club to move towards parting ways with Croatian coach Goran Sablic, with assistant coach Mohammed Abdelnabi handed the reins until the team completes its Asian campaign. Arabi is expected to search for a new head coach after the tournament.

Abdelnabi is familiar with the squad, having worked alongside Sablic last season and during the current campaign. He also spent nearly a decade coaching Arabi’s youth teams.