Nabil Maaloul

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 7: Nabil Maaloul, the Tunisian coach of Qadsia Club, sharply criticized the referee following his team’s 1–1 draw against Kuwait Club in Round 13 of the Zain Premier League, claiming that the officiating directly affected the match result.

Maaloul said the refereeing was “third-rate”, pointing out that Qadsia was denied a clear penalty and that Kuwait Club’s Arsen Zola should have been sent off, despite VAR reviews. He added that these key decisions could have altered the outcome of the game.

Describing the situation as a “circus”, Maaloul stressed that his team was powerless under such officiating and questioned why decisions repeatedly go against Qadsia, raising concerns about what might be happening behind the scenes.

He also suggested that he would prefer a local Kuwaiti referee over a foreign official for such matches.

On the team’s performance, Maaloul praised Qadsia’s young players, calling them the future of the club, and expressed satisfaction with their efforts during the match.