KUWAIT CITY, Jan 4: In a surprising turn of events, Spanish coach Pablo Franco is now in contention to lead Al-Qadisiya for the remainder of the current season's competitions. This development comes after the resignation of the team's previous coach, Mohamed Ibrahim, who cited health reasons for stepping down in December.

Initially, Croatian coach Ante Misha was considered the primary candidate to take charge. However, his appointment faced resistance from some members of the club's board of directors. Subsequently, former Al-Qadisiya coach Pablo Franco entered the negotiation process. The official announcement of the new coach is expected after the team's upcoming match against Al-Nasr on Sunday, concluding the fourteenth round.

In other football news, Kuwait regained the leading position in the Zain Premier League by securing a decisive 6-0 victory against Al-Shabab in the thirteenth round at Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium. With this win, "Al-Abyad" now holds 30 points, topping the league table on goal difference ahead of Al-Arabi. Al-Shabab, on the other hand, remains in eighth place with 11 points.

Coach Nabil Maaloul, the Tunisian helm of Kuwait Club, expressed satisfaction with the team's performance, emphasizing the need for consistent efforts in upcoming matches. Maaloul hinted at keeping the option open for recruiting new players during the winter transfer period to bolster the team as needed. He affirmed the team's aspirations to compete across various championships and target all four titles this season, including the league, Prince Woolley Cup, Al-Ahed, and the Super Cup.

Reflecting on the league competition, Maaloul described it as "interesting" with a three-way rivalry between Kuwait Club, Al-Arabi, and Al-Qadisiya for the title. He praised the outstanding level of the "derby" match and Kuwait's convincing victories despite player absences.

Meanwhile, a Qatari player, Abdulkarim Hassan, has been proposed to Kuwait Club by a contractor. Nicknamed "Kemo," Hassan's contract with Al-Jahra is set to expire at the end of January.

Addressing the loss, Jaber Al-Zenki, head of the youth football team, expressed surprise and emphasized the need for the team to focus in upcoming matches to maintain hopes of remaining in the Premier League, citing previous instances where teams like Kazma had also suffered six-goal losses to Al-Abyad.

Hassan Musa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff