KUWAIT CITY, Aug 6: Al-Arabi defeated Burgan 3-0 as part of its preparations for the upcoming Zain Premier League. It is set to face Kazma in the first round of the tournament next Saturday. Goals for Al-Arabi were scored by Ali Aziz, Dhahi Al-Shammari, and Salman Al-Awadhi. Coach Nasser Al-Shatti made it a point to allow most players to play, aiming to assess their readiness before the new season begins.

Meanwhile, the chances of signing Malian Ibrahim Tandia have decreased due to his high financial demands. Al-Arabi officials consider the requested amount excessive, especially given the player's abilities and the additional fee required by his club, Al-Ahed of Saudi Arabia, to release him.

Al-Arabi will enter its first match against Kazma with three foreign players: Nigerian Anabo Iwala and Algerians Sofiane Bouchar and Ahmed Khaldi. The fourth foreign player, Moroccan Hamza Khaba, is sidelined with a muscle injury and will be out for 30 days, as stated by the club on social media, without specifying the injury type.

Khaldi also missed the friendly match against Burgan due to fatigue, prompting the technical staff to rest him. Al-Qadisiya and Kuwait will conclude their training sessions this evening in preparation for their highly anticipated match tomorrow, marking the start of the Zain Premier League.

Al-Qadisiya received positive news with the approval from FIFA's Players' Status Committee to register Moroccan professional Ismail Khafi. The Moroccan Football Federation initially refused to send Khafi's international card at the request of Al-Qadisiya through the Kuwaiti Federation, citing an ongoing case between Khafi and his former club, Ittihad Tangier.

Hassan Musa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff