Hassan Hamdan fights for the ball with Maziya Sports players.

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 31: Al Arabi will showcase multiple objectives when it faces Turkmenistan's Arkadag today at 5:30 pm at Kuwait Club Stadium, marking the third and final round of Group 2 in the Asian Challenge League. In the same group, Kyrgyzstan's Abdish Atta will take on Maziya Sports from the Maldives at 9:30 pm at the same venue.

Currently, Arkadag leads the group with 6 points, while Al Arabi sits in second place with 3 points, ahead of Abdish Atta on goal difference. Maziya has been eliminated from the competition after suffering two defeats.

To qualify at the top of the group, Al Arabi must win by two goals, provided that Abdish does not secure a victory by four goals. If it wins by just one goal, it will need to monitor Abdish's result as well as those from the first and third groups. A draw or loss would result in its elimination from the tournament.

Al Arabi finds itself in a challenging position following a disappointing start against Abdish, where it suffered a narrow defeat. This has complicated its qualification chances, making it reliant on results from other groups.

Under the guidance of national coach Nasser Al-Shatti, Al Arabi knows that the matchup against Arkadag will be tough, as its opponent has demonstrated impressive form in its previous matches, winning all.

Al-Shatti has a roster of capable players, including Moroccan Hamza Khaba, Nigerian Anabo Iwala, Youssef Majed, Bandar Al-Salama, Hassan Hamdan, Ali Khalaf, Ali Aziz, Hussein Ashkanani, and Mauritanian Abdullah Mahmoud. However, the team will miss Algerian professional Sofiane Bouchar, who is serving a three-match suspension after receiving a red card in their initial tournament match against Abdish.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff