An Injured Kuwait Club player is helped off the field.

Kuwait Club will aim to move closer to the West Asia semifinals of the AFC Challenge League when they face Oman’s Al-Seeb at 7:00 p.m. tonight at Jaber Al-Mubarak Stadium, in the second round of Group B. Earlier at 4:00 p.m., Lebanon’s Al-Ansar take on Bangladesh’s Bashundhara Kings at the same venue.

At the same time, Al-Arabi will look to bounce back when they meet Tajikistan’s Regar-TadAZ at 1:00 p.m. at Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in Group C action. Later in the group, Al-Safa (Lebanon) faces Muras United (Kyrgyzstan) at 4:00 p.m. on the same pitch.

The competition follows a single round-robin format hosted in centralized venues, with group winners and the best second-placed team advancing to the West Asia semifinals.

In Group B, Kuwait Club is eager to maintain its winning start and take another step toward qualification after defeating Al-Ansar 3-2 in the opening round.

“The Whites” impressed with their strong performance and valuable victory over a resilient Lebanese side that created several scoring chances.

Making its first appearance in the Challenge League—after competing in last season’s AFC Champions League 2, where it exited in the group stage—Kuwait Club aims to make a statement this year. Kuwait Club Montenegrin head Coach Nebojša Jovović hopes to steer the team toward another continental title.

However, the task won’t be easy against Al-Seeb, who also started with a 3-2 comeback win over Bashundhara Kings and are brimming with confidence.

In Group C, Al-Arabi SC is determined to claim its first win of the campaign after being held to a 2-2 draw by Al-Safa in its opening match.

Under Portuguese coach Marco Alves, “The Greens” know that only a victory today will keep their hopes alive for progression, as any slip-up could severely dent their qualification chances.

They face a tough Regar-TadAZ side, which managed to hold host team Muras United to a goalless draw in their first match, setting the stage for a decisive and tightly contested encounter.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff