KUWAIT CITY , Dec 9: Al-Arabi is gearing up for a challenging face-off against Sulaibikhat today at 05:00 pm in the Al-Ittihad Hall within the Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Indoor Hall Complex, marking the eighth and final round of the Basketball League's first division. Simultaneously, Kazma will take on Al-Qurain at 07:00 in the same hall.

The league's format comprises two sections, culminating in the top four teams qualifying for the highly anticipated semi-finals.

In the initial clash, Sulaibikhat, currently fourth with 11 points, aims to outshine their fifth-ranked Arab counterpart with 10 points. This effort is crucial to secure a position in the top four before the league hiatus for the "Blue Basketball" team's participation in the upcoming Arab Championship in Cairo. Al-Akhdar, well-prepared with key signings like Hussein Al-Khabaz and Abdullah Salmeen, is under the guidance of their new Tunisian coach, Nidal Bin Abdulkarim. The latter replaced the dismissed Serbian Degan and has steered Al-Akhdar to rise to fourth place.

Anticipated to be an exciting matchup, Sulaibikhat's recent successes against mid and lower-ranked teams, coupled with their setbacks against formidable opponents like Kazma, Al-Kuwait, and Al-Qadisiyah, make this confrontation a pivotal challenge for both teams vying for the coveted fourth place in the golden square.

In the second match, Kazma, currently holding third place with 11 points, seeks to maintain its standing by overcoming Al-Qurain, positioned seventh with 8 points. Kazma, not reaching its peak performance from the previous season, faces a determined Al-Qurain, whose dynamics shifted notably after the replacement of their American professional, Walker, with Serbian Dragovic.