Night of coronation for the Kuwait Club

A tight duel as a Qadsia player shields the ball from two Kuwait Club opponents.

KUWAIT CITY, June 28: The curtain comes down today on the Zain Premier League, with Kuwait Club set to be crowned champions for a fifth consecutive season and the 21st time in their history, as three matches conclude the final round of the championship group.

Kuwait Club, which sealed the title as early as the third round of the championship group, faces Qadsia at Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium at 7:05 PM. At the same venue, Al-Arabi meets Al-Fahaheel at 10:15 PM, while Al-Salmiya takes on Kazma at Jaber Al-Mubarak Stadium at the same time.

Kuwait Club leads the table with 52 points, followed by Qadsia in second place on 38. Al-Salmiya sits third with 37, Al-Arabi fourth with 36, Kazma fifth with 35, and Al-Fahaheel sixth with 22.

Qadsia has already guaranteed a top-four finish, securing qualification for an external competition next season. The fight, however, remains fierce among Al-Arabi, Kazma, and Al-Salmiya for the remaining two continental and regional qualification spots.

Second place earns a playoff route to the AFC Champions League 2, third place qualifies for the AFC Challenge League, while fourth place leads to the GCC Champions League.

Qadsia’s final match against Kuwait Club will not affect its qualification status, but the “Yellows” will be eager to avenge their 2-1 defeat in the first round and become the first side to beat the champions this season after a 1-1 draw in the return fixture.

Kuwait Club, meanwhile, aims to finish unbeaten, seeking either victory or a draw to complete a dominant campaign.

The match will be officiated by Somali international referee Omar Artan, who arrived in Kuwait last week following an invitation from Kuwait Football Association chairman Sheikh Ahmed Al-Yousef. His appointment is seen as a gesture of recognition after he was denied a U.S. visa due to his potential involvement in officiating duties for the 2026 World Cup.

Attention turns to Al-Salmiya vs Kazma, where Al-Salmiya needs just a point to confirm qualification for external competition, while Kazma must win to stay in contention.

In the final fixture, Al-Arabi requires a victory to guarantee qualification regardless of other results, or a draw combined with an Al-Salmiya win over Kazma to progress.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff