Kuwait Club stays top amidst few goals in 14th round

This news has been read 316 times!

KUWAIT CITY, Jan 10: The fourteenth round of the Zain Premier League failed to bring about any shifts in the standings of participating teams, despite the outcomes of the five matches. Aptly dubbed the “Scarcity of Goals,” this round saw the lowest goal tally since the competition’s inception, with only 9 goals across all matches. The prevalent theme of “Winning with Difficulty” was evident in each of the encounters.

Leader Kuwait secured its victory against Khaitan, breaking the deadlock in the middle of the second half. Al-Arabi faced a tough challenge but emerged triumphant with a 2-1 win against Al-Fahaheel. Al-Qadisiyah clinched victory with a lone goal against Al-Nassr. Al-Salmiya orchestrated a comeback against bottom-ranked Al-Jahra, scoring their second goal in the dying moments of the first half. Al-Shabab secured a single-goal victory against Kazma.

Kuwait, Al-Arabi, and Al-Qadisiyah clubs have secured places in the Championship League (Six League), with Al-Fahaheel (7th with 15 points) unable to catch up. The battle for the remaining three seats in the “League of Six” intensifies between Al-Nasr (21 points), Al-Salmiya (20 points), Kazma (17 points), Al-Fahaheel (15 points), and Al-Shabab (14 points). Khaitan faces an uphill challenge, while Al-Jahra is the sole team officially guaranteed participation in the “Avoid Relegation” league competitions.

Kuwait maintained its lead with 33 points, meeting expectations against Khaitan, despite an unconvincing performance. Al-Arabi and Al-Qadisiyah, direct competitors, are close behind. Meanwhile, Al-Nasr, in fourth place, allows Al-Salmiya to narrow the gap to just one point. Kazma finds themselves in a precarious situation after Al-Shabab reduces the point gap to two.

Several clubs grappled with key professional and player absences in this round. Kuwait played without five professionals, Al-Arabi missed Algeria’s Sofiane Bouchard, and Kazma lacked Michel Milad, with Brazilian Douglas Vale making a late appearance. Al-Qadisiya missed Ibrahima Tandia, while Al-Nasr lacked Syria’s Amr Maidani.

The forthcoming pause in the tournament until February 11 presents an opportune moment for clubs to reevaluate their strategies. Anticipated changes in the lineup, both in terms of local and foreign players, are expected, a trend that clubs have begun implementing since the opening of the winter transfer window in January.

Hassan Musa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff

This news has been read 316 times!