KUWAIT CITY, July 14: Al-Qadisiya's professional players, the Moroccan duo Mahdi Barhama and Ismail Khafi, joined the team's training recently and will depart with the "Yellow" delegation today to Cairo, Egypt, where it will conduct a preparatory camp there until the end of the month, featuring three friendly matches.

The "Yellow" team aims to meticulously prepare for the upcoming season, including participation in the Gulf Club Championship after a long hiatus. It will also kick off its local season against Kuwait on August 8 in the Zain Premier League.

To bolster its lineup, Al-Qadisiya has recruited four foreign players: Libyan Mohamed Sula, Moroccans Mahdi Barahma and Ismail Khafi, and Nigerian Daniel Gebula. Meanwhile, the technical staff, led by coach Mohamed Al-Mashaan, is still reviewing several professional candidates for the defensive positions to finalize its foreign player contracts.

Al-Arabi announced that its Algerian professional, Sofiane Bouchard, has been granted special leave to return to his home country following the end of the season in Algeria. The club also issued a statement cautioning against the spread of rumors and false news, threatening legal action if necessary.

Bouchard recently concluded his loan to CS Belouizdad in Algeria and is expected to rejoin Al-Arabi soon. He is one of four Al-Arabi professionals, along with compatriot Ahmed Khalidi, Moroccan Hamza Khaba, and Nigerian Anayo Iweala. Al-Arabi is set to compete in the Asian Challenge Cup next season as the league runner-up.

In Turkey, Kuwait SC secured a 2-0 victory against Turkish team Amed FK in the first friendly match of its training camp. Goals were scored by Ali Hussein and Amr Abdel Fattah. Coach Nebojsa Jovovic utilized a broad roster, including Abdul Rahman Kamil, Youssef Nasser, Tunisian Yassin Al-Khanisi, and several others.

The "Al-Abyad" camp will continue until July 29, after which the team will return to Kuwait to prepare for its August 8 match against Al-Qadisiyain in the Zain Premier League. Subsequently, it will travel to Manama on August 9 to face Al-Ahly of Bahrain on August 14 in the qualifying round for the AFC Champions League.

Hassan Musa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff