KUWAIT CITY, March 24: Kuwait wraps up training, at Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Al-Nasr Club as they gear up for Qatar on Tuesday for the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. Qatar is unbeaten in the group, leading with 9 points, followed by India with 4 points, Kuwait falling to third place with 3 points, and Afghanistan trailing with just one point. Kuwait will be aiming for the maximum points to keep their qualification hopes alive

Since returning from Doha after their 3-0 loss against Qatar, Azraq's Portuguese coach, Rui Pinto, has been focused on rectifying the team's errors and regaining focus, particularly in the second half where they conceded two goals in five minutes. Pinto provided instructions to benefit the team and held technical lectures addressing the positives and negatives of the Qatar match. He emphasized each player's role in the upcoming crucial match.

Meanwhile, the Qatari delegation will arrive today and will undergo a single training session in at Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Al-Nasr Club. Qatari media reports suggest that Spanish coach Marquez Lopez will likely continue rotating players, having introduced new players like Mahdi Salem and Ahmed Al-Rawi, the latter scoring the second goal against Al-Azraq. Salah Zakaria may replace Meshal Barshim in the second half due to Barshim's recent injury. A press conference for the Kuwait-Qatar match will be held today at 8:30 pm at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, featuring a coach and player from each team. Preceding this, a technical meeting will convene at 8:00 pm at the same stadium

Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff