A file photo of players in action.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 19: Al-Qadsiya will face Al-Sulaibikhat in a friendly match as part of preparations for its trip to Manama, scheduled for the day after tomorrow, where it will face Bahrain's Al-Riffa next Wednesday in the third round of Group B in the Gulf Clubs Championship.

Currently, Al-Qadsiya stands third in the group with one point, edging Qatar’s Al-Arabi (fourth place) on goal difference. Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ettifaq leads the group with 6 points, followed by Al-Riffa with 3 points. Al-Qadsiya’s last match ended in a narrow 1-0 loss to Al-Ettifaq.

Montenegrin coach Zeljko Petrovic aims to assess the readiness of all players, including those returning from international duty with Al-Azraq in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Today, Al-Qadisiya is set to welcome back international players Khaled Ibrahim, Khaled Al-Rashidi, Eid Al-Rashidi, Rashed Al-Dosari, Adhbi Shehab, and Moaz Al-Dhafiri.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Club’s delegation is scheduled to depart for Uzbekistan next Sunday to face Nasaf Qarshi in the fifth round of Group D matches in the AFC Champions League 2.

Kuwait Club is currently at the bottom of the group with 2 points. Jordan’s Al-Hussein Irbid tops the group with 9 points, followed by UAE’s Shabab Al-Ahli with 7 points, and Nasaf Qarshi with 4 points. Kuwait Club’s qualification hopes hinge on winning its next two matches against Nasaf Qarshi and Al-Hussein Irbid, coupled with Shabab Al-Ahli losing their remaining fixtures.

Fahad Al-Hajri, Sami Al-Sanea, Abdulrahman Kamil, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Reda Hani, Mishari Ghannam, Faisal Zayed, Mohammed Daham, Yousef Nasser, and Khaled Al-Kharqawi, are set to rejoin the squad.

Montenegrin coach Nebojsa Jovovic has also requested a friendly match before the team’s departure for Uzbekistan.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff