Kuwait players in high spirits ahead of a friendly against Uzbekistan.

TASHKENT, Oct 8: Kuwait will take on Uzbekistan in a friendly match at 4 p.m. today at the Olympic Stadium in Tashkent.

The encounter comes as part of Kuwait’s preparations during the international break. The team will also play a second friendly on Tuesday against Morocco’s local national side in Dubai, as it gears up for the Arab Cup playoff clash with Mauritania on November 25. The Arab Cup, organized under the supervision of FIFA, will kick off in Doha early next December.

Head coach Helio Sousa has named 26 players for the current training camp: Saud Al-Junaie, Khaled Al-Rashidi, Saud Al-Hoshan, Abdulrahman Ajaj, Fahad Al-Hajri, Mishari Ghanem, Khaled Sabah, Mohammed Khaled, Rashid Al-Dosari, Khaled Ibrahim, Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi, Nasser Al-Enezi, Hassan Hamdan, Khaled Al-Murshid, Jarrah Al-Hleili, Rida Hani, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Athbi Shehab, Sultan Al-Enezi, Fawaz Ayedh, Bader Tareq, Talal Al-Qaisi, Youssef Nasser, Moath Al-Asimah, Salman Al-Awadhy, and Ahmed Al-Zanki.

Tonight’s match will mark Sousa’s second game in charge, following the 2–2 draw with Syria in last September’s friendly held in Doha.

The team began its camp in Kuwait at the end of September, completing five training sessions before heading to Tashkent on Monday. Sousa introduced a varied training schedule, combining morning fitness sessions at a health institute for selected players with evening tactical drills focused on instilling his playing philosophy. The Portuguese coach emphasized discipline, precision, and tactical understanding as key aspects of the team’s preparation.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan, fresh from securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will use the friendly to test new players. Under newly appointed Italian coach Fabio Cannavaro, the hosts aim for a strong performance and morale-boosting win in his first match at the helm of the national team.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff