Kuwaiti players led by the coach prepare for Khaleeji Zain 26.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 24: Kuwait begins its preparations for the Khaleeji Zain 26 tournament today at 8: 00 pm in the sports hall of the Bayan Youth Center, under the General Authority for Sports. Training will continue tomorrow at the subsidiary stadium of Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, followed by a concluding session back at the Bayan Sports Hall.

The delegation is set to depart this Thursday for a training camp in Doha, Qatar, which will run until mid-December. This camp forms part of the team's extensive preparations for the Khaleeji Zain 26, scheduled to take place in Kuwait from December 21 to January 3. During the camp, the team will play three friendly matches against Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon.

Key players from Qadsia, including Khaled Ibrahim, Khaled Al-Rashidi, Eid Al-Rashidi, Rashed Al-Dosari, Adhbi Shehab, and Moaz Al-Dhafiri, will miss the initial preparation phase due to their participation in the Gulf Clubs Championship. Similarly, Kuwait SC players Fahad Al-Hajri, Sami Al-Sanea, Abdulrahman Kamil, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Reda Hani, Mishari Ghannam, Faisal Zayed, Mohammed Daham, Yousef Nasser, and Khaled Al-Kharqawi will be unavailable as they fulfill commitments to the AFC Champions League 2. Both groups are expected to join the national team on December 5.

The Khaleeji Zain 26draw placed Kuwait in Group A alongside Qatar, the UAE, and Oman, while Group B comprises Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Yemen.

The preparation program has been developed in coordination with the Kuwait Football Federation's Board of Directors and the technical and administrative staff. Argentine coach Juan Antonio Pizzi aims to assess the readiness of all players ahead of the Gulf Championship.