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Thursday, August 28, 2025
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Kuwait U20 opens Gulf Cup campaign against Qatar in Abha

publish time

27/08/2025

publish time

27/08/2025

Players hold their final training session.

ABHA, Saudi Arabia, Aug 27: Kuwait’s national under-20 soccer team begins its journey in the first Gulf U20 Cup, facing Qatar in the opening match of Group A at 8:30 PM at Damak Stadium in Abha, Saudi Arabia. Earlier in the day, Saudi Arabia will take on Yemen at 6:00 PM.

The tournament, hosted in Abha until September 10, features two groups. Group B includes Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, and Egypt, which participate by invitation from the Gulf Football Federation after the UAE withdrew.

Under the leadership of Croatian coach Virdo Milin, Kuwait is aiming for a strong start. The squad of 23 players includes Abdullah Al-Taweel, Sand Al-Mutairi, Al-Waleed Al-Enezi, Ayed Al-Shammari, Zain Al-Abidin Maarefi, Youssef Jawad, Abdullah Al-Qurzi, Hussein Al-Aryan, Mohammed Al-Ansari, Mohammed Al-Mulla, Rakan Al-Saeed, Abdullah Al-Eibani, Suleiman Jamal, Hamad Al-Saeed, Abdullah Al-Ansari, Ghanem Al-Rajeeba, Khalid Al-Saeed, Hashem Naqi, Hadi Al-Enezi, Mohammed Al-Halwaji, Mubarak Al-Ajmi, Laith Al-Qallaf, and Misfer Al-Adwani.

The team has prepared for the championship through a series of domestic and international training camps, including friendly matches to fine-tune tactics and team cohesion.

Coach Virdo Milin expressed confidence in his squad, highlighting the rigorous training camp and his goal for the team to perform at a high level throughout the tournament.

Qatar’s coach, Emmanuel Infante, called the Gulf Cup a key stepping stone for this generation of players and praised their current form. Meanwhile, Saudi coach Sergio Antonio noted that his team had trained extensively with a new roster and aimed to deliver strong performances.

Yemen’s coach, Mohammed Al-Nafie, shared that his team began preparations in July, forming a new squad in just over a month. He expressed optimism that Yemen could represent itself well despite the challenges.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff