Al Arabi looks forward to continuing its victories in the league.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 5: Al-Arabi faces a challenging away game against Al-Salmiya tonight at 8:30 pm at Thamer Stadium in the final match of the Zain Premier League’s ninth round.

Originally set for last Friday, the match was postponed to accommodate Al-Arabi’s participation in the Asian Challenge League Championship, where the team secured second place in its group and advanced to the West Asia semifinals. It will take on Oman’s Al-Seeb in a two-legged encounter on March 5 and 12.

Al-Arabi currently holds second place in the league standings with 18 points and has one postponed match against Al-Nasr from the eighth round, while Al-Salmiya stands in fifth place with 14 points.

Riding high on confidence from its recent Asian Challenge League success, Al-Arabi is aiming for another victory to close in on the league leader, Kuwait Club, who leads with a perfect 27 points. Al-Arabi also hopes to continue its dominant record against Al-Salmiya, having won three of their last four encounters in the league last season (1-0, 2-0, and 3-2), with one match ending in a 1-1 draw.

However, Al-Arabi will be missing several key players tonight. Goalkeeper Suleiman Abdul Ghafoor is sidelined with a hamstring tear, expected to keep him out for four to five weeks, and Youssef Majed is also out due to injuries sustained in their Asian Challenge League game against Arkadag from Turkmenistan. The fitness of Ahmed Khaldi and Suleiman Al-Awadhi remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, Al-Salmiya aims to achieve multiple goals with a win tonight. In addition to halting Al-Arabi’s recent dominance, it’s looking to secure a second consecutive victory following its 2-1 win over Yarmouk in the previous round. A win would also see Al-Salmiya reclaim third place from Al-Qadsiya, who currently has 16 points, and bring it closer to Al-Arabi in the standings.

Despite a recent dip in form, including a narrow 3-4 loss to Kuwait Club and draws with Al-Fahaheel (2-2) and Khaitan (1-1), Al-Salmiya’s recent comeback win against Yarmouk has revitalized its campaign.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff