Players challenge for the ball.

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 22: Qadsiya and Kazma's chances of competing for the Zain Premier League title have significantly diminished, as both teams remain at four points after five rounds, falling well behind leaders Kuwait Club and Al-Arabi, who each have 12 points from four matches.

Kazma and Qadsiya played to a 0-0 draw at the Friendship and Peace Stadium in their latest match, leaving both teams with a mountain to climb. While there are still 18 rounds left in the tournament, the performances of both teams have been underwhelming, showing little indication of improvement shortly.

Montenegrin coach Zeljko Petrovic of Qadsiya highlighted his team's struggles with finishing, noting they squandered several scoring opportunities. He described the draw as feeling "like a loss" but emphasized that his team remains determined to turn things around, starting with their upcoming match against Al-Tadamon.

Al-Qadsiya's manager Mosaed Neda expressed frustration with the officiating; criticizing the referee for failing to award a penalty after Khaled Sabah was obstructed by Kazma's Khaled Shaman inside the penalty area.

Kazma's Tunisian coach, Saad Al-Shabi, believed his team could have secured a significant victory, claiming it had the chance to score three goals in the first half. He acknowledged that it relied on counterattacks in the second half to defend against Qadsiya's offensive efforts. Al-Shabi pointed out that they missed crucial counterattacking opportunities and stressed the need to address the shortcomings evident in their recent matches if it hopes to improve its standing.

By Hassan Musa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff