KUWAIT CITY, Sept 4: The Kuwait Olympic team commences its AFC U-23 Cup qualifiers journey today with an opening match against the East Timor team at 8:00 PM at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, marking the initiation of Group Six's competitions. Concurrently, within the same group, the Iraqi and Macau teams will clash at 6:00 PM at the Kuwait Club Stadium. These qualifying matches are pivotal, as they determine which teams secure spots in the finals. The qualification format involves 11 groups, with the top team from each group earning a place, along with the four best second-place teams. Qatar is set to host the finals next year.

The Kuwait Olympic team, known as the Olympic Blue, diligently prepared for these qualifiers with two summer training camps. The first camp took place in Slovenia in June, featuring friendly matches against the Ukrainian U-21 national team. The second camp, held in Thailand in August, included matches against Bahrain and Myanmar. The team's training sessions have continued, with initial indoor sessions followed by training on the sub-field of Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium.

Under the guidance of Portuguese Olympic coach Emilio Peixe, the team's 23-player roster showcases talents like Abdul Rahman Al-Fadhli, Fahd Al-Azmi, and Mahdi Dashti. In today's match, the Kuwait Olympic team aims for a positive result to boost morale and enhance their chances of securing a direct qualification card. However, they anticipate a challenging task ahead as they face East Asian opponents who have displayed significant progress in recent years. The team also benefits from experienced players who have previously represented their clubs and national teams, adding depth and expertise to their lineup.