Bader Tareq is helped off the pitch.

DUBAI, Oct 11: Kuwait kicked off its training sessions in Dubai, UAE, in preparation for its upcoming friendly against Morocco’s local team on Tuesday.

The Al-Azraq delegation arrived in the UAE the day before, coming from Tashkent, where it faced Uzbekistan in a friendly last Thursday, ending in a 2-0 defeat.

Despite the loss, the team delivered a respectable performance in its second match under Portuguese coach Helio Sousa, who rotated several players to give them game time.

Kuwait struggled in the first half, with mistakes exploited by Uzbekistan, who converted two key chances into goals. In the second half, Sousa made substitutions that improved the team’s performance, creating scoring opportunities, though Al-Azraq couldn’t find the net.

During yesterday’s training, the coaching staff held a meeting with the players, stressing the importance of focus, correcting past errors, seizing chances, maintaining proper positioning, and team organization to achieve a positive result against Morocco and bounce back from the previous defeat.

The medical team also attended to players who suffered minor injuries in the Uzbekistan match, notably Bader Tareq, who left the field in the first half.

The Morocco friendly marks Sousa’s third match at the helm, following a 2-2 draw with Syria in Doha, Qatar, in September.

Looking ahead, the Kuwait Football Association has planned an intensive schedule during the November international break. The team will travel to Cairo, Egypt, on November 10 for a training camp until November 20. They will play friendlies against Tanzania and Gambia on November 14 and 18 before moving to Doha, Qatar, to face Mauritania on November 25 in the Arab Cup playoff.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff