The U-17 team preparing for the qualifiers.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 20: Sporty and Al-Shamiya will launch the Crown Prince Cup today at 5:20 p.m. at Abdullah Al-Khalifa Stadium in the preliminary round. The winner will advance to face Al-Jazeera next Thursday at Al-Tadamon Stadium, with the victor securing a place in the main draw.

Sporty sits at the bottom of the First Division standings with no points, while Al-Shamiya is seventh with three points from its single victory—earned against Sporty in a 2–1 win.

The Competitions Committee of the Kuwait Football Association has opted to hold a preliminary phase to reduce the participating teams to 16, who will then compete in the Round of 16.

Both Sporty and Al-Shamiya, newcomers to the Kuwaiti football scene, are aiming for a breakthrough victory in their first-ever appearance in this prestigious tournament. Al-Jazeera made its debut last season but exited in the preliminary round after losing to Kuwait SC. Sporty and Al-Shamiya have met only once this season—in the fifth round of the First Division “Zain League”—with Al-Shamiya winning 2–1, a result that highlights how closely matched the two sides are, occupying the last two spots in the table.

The Crown Prince Cup was first held in the 1993–1994 season, with Kuwait SC lifting the inaugural title after defeating Kazma in the final. Kuwait SC remains the record holder with 10 titles, followed by Qadisiya and Arabi with 9 each, while Salmiya has won twice and Kazma once.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s U-17 national team begins its AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign today with a matchup against Turkmenistan at 11:30 a.m. at Chonburi Stadium in Thailand. The group also features tomorrow’s meeting between the Maldives and Mongolia at 3:30 p.m.

Host nation Thailand completes Group F and will open its run on Tuesday against Mongolia. The Azraq prepared for the qualifiers with a training camp in Thailand that included several friendlies, as the team looks to add to its five previous appearances in the finals—the most recent in 2014.

Led by national coach Tariq Al-Khulaifi, the team underwent an extended buildup that began last summer with a camp in Serbia and concluded with another in Thailand. During their preparation, Kuwait drew 0–0 with Singapore, defeated Oman 2–0, and beat a Thai club 1–0.

The squad hopes to reach the finals for the sixth time and end a decade-long absence since its last appearance in 2014.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff