Kuwait U-17 players intensify training for the qualifier.

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 22: The Kuwait Under-17 team kicks off its journey in the Asian Junior Cup qualifiers today at 5:30 pm against Indonesia at Abdullah Al-Khalifa Stadium, Al-Yarmouk Club, in the first round of Group 7 matches.

Group 7 also features Australia and the Northern Mariana Islands, who will clash at 8:30 pm at the same venue.

Led by Croatian coach Ferdo Milin and assistant Moaz Al-Eidan, Kuwait is aiming for a win to boost its chances of qualifying for the finals, set to take place in Saudi Arabia from April 3 to 20, 2025. However, the task won’t be easy against an Indonesian side that has shown strong performances recently.

Milin has selected a squad of 23 players, including Bilal Abdullah, Mishaal Salem, Misfer Al-Adwani, Mubarak Al-Ajmi, Laith Al-Qallaf, Ismail Khorshid, Khaled Al-Saeed, Abdulrahman Al-Shuaib, Ahmed Tariq, Mohammed Al-Ansari, Mohammed Al-Mulla, Abdullah Al-Aibani, Abdullah Al-Ansari, Suleiman Jamal, Abdulrahman Al-Suwaidi, Hamad Al-Saeed, Abdulrahman Al-Ruwaidhan, Fawaz Al-Dawoud, Abdullah Al-Qarzai, Ayed Al-Shammari, Saleh Al-Ruwaidhan, Zain Al-Abidin Marafi, and Ahmed Al-Shawaf.

The technical staff of Kuwait has closely analyzed recent matches of the Indonesian team, identifying both strengths and weaknesses to prepare thoroughly and maximize their chances of securing a positive result in their opening qualifier.

A total of 43 teams are participating in the qualifiers, divided into 10 groups. Seven groups contain four teams each, while three groups have five teams. The top team from each group will advance to the finals, along with the five best second-placed teams.

By Khaled Al-Enezi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff