Kuwait Club ready for Al-Wahda battle in Champions League 2 opener

Al-Khatib gives instructions to the players during the final training session.

ABU DHABI, Sept 15: Kuwait Club launches its AFC Champions League Two campaign today with a tough away clash against Al-Wahda at Al Nahyan Stadium at 7 p.m. in the opening round of Group A. In the other group fixture, Uzbekistan’s Nasaf host Bahrain’s Khalidiya.

The top two teams from each of the eight groups will advance to the knockout stage. The group phase, divided equally between the West and East zones, is played on a home-and-away basis and runs through Dec. 9.

The Round of 16 is scheduled for Feb. 9-18, 2027, with the quarterfinals set for March 2-18 and the semifinals for April 6-14. The final will be played on May 15.

Kuwait Club arrived in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, determined to make a strong start to its continental campaign. The five-time defending Zain Premier League champion is a joint leader after three rounds with seven points, level with Kazma.

The club has won the league title a record 21 times, including the last five seasons, underlining their domestic dominance.

Today’s match will be the third meeting between the sides in the past two decades. They drew 2-2 in the AFC Champions League in 2002, while Al-Wahda prevailed 2-1 in the Arab Club Championship a year later.

The reigning AFC Challenge League champion will be keen to improve on its previous AFC Champions League Two campaign, when it was eliminated in the group stage two seasons ago.

For Coach Firas Al-Khatib, the match is also an opportunity to claim his first international victory with Kuwait Club and his first away win in continental competition since taking charge.

Al-Khatib can call on a blend of experience and attacking quality, with Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Ali Hussein, Saud Al-Houshan, Redha Hani, Sami Al-Sanea, Mohammed Freij, Yousef Nasser, Amr Abdel-Fattah, and Faisal Zayed among the established names. The squad also includes Mohsen Falah, Mishari Ghanem, Mohammed Daham, Abdullah Al-Qarzaei, and Salman Al-Awadi.

The foreign contingent features Tunisia’s Yassine Khenissi, Bahrain’s Mohammed Marhoon, Congolese defender Arsene “Malik” Zola, Cameroon’s Omar Gonzalez and Morocco’s Mehdi Berrahma.

Al-Wahda, four-time UAE champion, will rely on home advantage and a strong squad under Brazilian coach Chamusca. Among their key players are Syria striker Omar Khribin, Belgian forward Christian Benteke, UAE international Caio Canedo, Slovenian defender Ahmed Jnezdar Cirkin, and goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Shamsi.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff