Players gear up for the friendly.

CAIRO, Nov 13: Kuwait will open its Cairo training camp with a friendly match against Tanzania tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Al-Salam Stadium.

The game serves as part of Al-Azraq’s preparations for a crucial playoff against Mauritania on November 25, which will determine qualification for the Arab Cup Finals in Qatar from December 1 to 18. Kuwait will play another friendly next Tuesday to wrap up the camp.

Head coach Helio Sousa has called up 23 players for the trip: Sulaiman Abdulghafour, Khaled Al-Rashidi, Saud Al-Houshan, Nasser Khudr, Muath Al-Dhafiri, Rashid Al-Dosari, Fahad Al-Hajri, Hassan Hamdan, Athbi Shahab, Nasser Faleh, Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi, Khaled Sabah, Mohammed Al-Shuraifi, Muath Al-Asaimah, Redha Hani, Sultan Al-Enezi, Fawaz Ayed, Ahmad Al-Dhafiri, Shabib Al-Khaldi, Youssef Nasser, Youssef Majed, Eid Al-Rashidi, and Mohammed Daham.

Sousa hopes to build momentum and confidence in what will be his fourth match in charge of Al-Azraq. Under his guidance, Kuwait drew 2-2 with Syria in September before losing to Uzbekistan (0-2) and Morocco’s local national team (0-1) in October.

The national squad began training on Tuesday, holding both morning and evening sessions.

Midfielders Ahmad Al-Dhafiri and Sultan Al-Enezi remain doubtful for tomorrow’s match. Al-Dhafiri is recovering from a minor groin strain, while Al-Enezi has been battling a severe flu and training separately in recent days, according to Dr. Abdulmajid Al-Bannai, head of the KFA medical department. He confirmed that the technical and administrative staff have finalized player selections for the camp.

Player Nasser Faleh expressed his optimism about benefiting from the two friendlies, calling on fans to rally behind Al-Azraq in the decisive clash against Mauritania.

Defender Rashid Al-Dosari said the players are determined to deliver their best and secure qualification for the Arab Cup, while forward Shabib Al-Khaldi emphasized the importance of the Mauritania match, hoping Kuwait can advance and perform impressively.

Mauritania’s national team drew 1-1 with Tunisia and will play a second friendly against Libya tomorrow night in Tripoli.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff