18/09/2024
18/09/2024
KUWAIT CITY, Sept 18: The Kuwait youth team has intensified its preparations for the 2025 Asian Cup qualifiers in China, set to begin this Saturday in Group Three. The group also features teams from the UAE, Lebanon, South Korea, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Kuwait’s first match will be against the Northern Mariana Islands on Saturday, followed by a clash with South Korea next Monday in the second round. They will face Lebanon in the third round next Wednesday and conclude their group stage against the UAE on September 29. The top team from each of the ten groups, along with the best five second-placed teams, will advance to the finals.
In preparation for the tournament, the team has conducted an internal training camp. Led by Croatian coach Dario Pasic and assistant coach Mohammed Al-Fulaijawi, the technical staff is focused on getting the players in optimal form to achieve their goal of qualification.
The technical staff has selected a 24-player squad, including Muqdad Safar, Talal Al-Matroud, Jassim Shamouh, Hussein Kankouni, Hussein Al-Aryan, Abdullah Fares, Abdullah Al-Ayoub, Khaled Al-Kharqawi, Abdullah Al-Sarraf, Khaled Al-Othman, Mohammed Arhama, Mohammed Al-Suraie, Ahmed Boudi, Jassim Al-Matar, Fadel Al-Sarraf, Turki Al-Yousef, Mohammed Al-Omran, Abdullah Al-Basri, Ahmed Al-Rashidi, Montaser Suleiman, Omar Al-Azmi, Eid Talal, Jassim Al-Enezi, and Bandar Nawaf.
Meanwhile, the delegations of the participating teams have begun arriving, with all five teams expected to land by the end of today.
The organizing committee, headed by the acting Secretary-General of the Football Association, Dr. Saleh Al-Majroub, is in full swing with its preparations to host the qualifiers. The committee holds daily meetings to ensure the group stage runs smoothly, aiming to deliver an ideal and successful tournament on all fronts.
By Hassan Musa
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff