Kuwait Club player dribbles past two defenders.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 5: Kuwait Club is set to host Shabab Al-Ahli from the UAE at 7:00 pm at Kuwait Club Stadium in Kaifan for the fourth round of Group 4 in the AFC Champions League 2. Meanwhile, Nasaf Qarshi from Uzbekistan will face Al-Hussein Irbid from Jordan at Tashkent’s Central Stadium at 5:00 pm in another Group 4 match.

Shabab Al-Ahli currently leads the group standings with 6 points, tied on points but ahead on goal difference from Al-Hussein Irbid, while Nasaf holds third place with 4 points, and Kuwait Club sits in fourth with just one point.

Kuwait Club is focused solely on winning to keep its hopes alive for one of the two qualifying spots. Any other result could effectively end its chances of advancing. Despite an impressive run in the Zain Premier League, where the club leads with a perfect record of 9 victories, Kuwait Club has struggled in the AFC Champions League. The team drew 0-0 with Nasaf in the opening round, lost 1-2 to Al-Hussein Irbid, and endured a 1-4 defeat to Shabab Al-Ahli in Dubai.

Kuwait Club's Montenegrin coach, Nebojsa Jovovic, knows that today’s match is a pivotal moment in the team’s championship journey. The team needs a win to stay in contention, which will require capitalizing on any mistakes from the opposition while leveraging home advantage and fan support.

Kuwait Club has a roster capable of sparking a comeback in the group, including Fahad Hamoud, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Ali Hussein, Mashari Ghannam, Mohammed Daham, Yousef Nasser, Sami Al-Sanea, Reda Hani, and Amr Abdel Fattah. International talents like Morocco’s Yahya Jabran and Ayman Abu Al-Fath, Tunisia’s Yassin Al-Khenisi, Bahrain’s Mohammed Marhoon, and Congo’s Arsene "Malik" Zola add depth to the lineup.

Shabab Al-Ahli, co-leader of the UAE League with Sharjah at 18 points (with a postponed match in hand), enters today’s game aiming for another win to solidify its top position in the group and boost its qualification prospects.

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff