Maaloul fine-tunes Qadsia squad ahead of Gulf Champions League semifinal

Qadsia goalkeepers strike a pose during a training session, showcasing team spirit and readiness ahead of upcoming fixtures.

DOHA, April 12: Qadsia continues its preparations for a crucial Gulf Champions League semifinal against Al-Rayyan by taking on Qatar’s Al-Bidaa in a friendly match today at 6:45 PM in Doha.

The Kuwaiti side has been holding a training camp in the Qatari capital since last Friday, after the Gulf Cup Federation decided to stage the remaining matches of the competition in Doha.

In the other semifinal, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Shabab will face Iraq’s Zakho on the same day, with the winners set to meet in the final on April 23 at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.

Head coach Nabil Maaloul is expected to give most players a run-out in today’s friendly as he assesses the squad ahead of the decisive clash against Al-Rayyan.

However, Qadsia will be without several key players. Bader Al-Mutawa, Talal Al-Fadhel, and Khaled Ibrahim did not travel due to work commitments, while Abdulaziz Wadi is sidelined through injury. There are also doubts over the availability of Mubarak Al-Faneni.

Bahraini professional Mehdi Humaidan has rejoined the squad after a short break in his home country following the suspension of sports activities in Kuwait earlier this month.

Due to time constraints, Qadsia will play only one friendly, after delays in visa processing for foreign players and staff postponed the team’s departure to Doha.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Club will wrap up its training camp in Dammam on Tuesday, where the team has been holding twice-daily sessions in preparation for its AFC Challenge League quarterfinal against Oman’s Al-Shabab on April 19.

The team is scheduled to travel to Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday to begin the final phase of preparations, and is expected to play one more friendly before departure.

Kuwait Club opened its camp with an emphatic 6-1 win over Saudi side Al-Taraji in its first warm-up match.