Kuwait U-20 team intensifies training for the opening match against Northern Mariana Islands on Saturday.

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 19: The Kuwait Under-20 team to kick off its 2025 Asian Cup qualifiers campaign against Northern Mariana Islands on Saturday, at 8:30 pm at Abdullah Al-Khalifa Stadium, located at Al-Yarmouk Club. This opening match will be preceded by a game between the UAE and Lebanon at 5:30 pm, as part of the Group 3 matches, which also features South Korea.

The qualifiers consist of 10 groups. The top team from each group and the best five second-place teams secure a spot. Kuwait has undergone an extensive preparation program for this tournament. This summer, it participated in several friendly matches, started with a camp in Kuwait, and then moved to Egypt. It also competed in the West Asian Championship and held external camps in Serbia and Turkey.

The technical staff, led by Croatian coach Dario Bacic and his assistant Mohammed Al-Fulaikawi, optimizes player readiness for a successful start. The squad for the tournament includes 23 players: Muqdad Safar, Talal Al-Matroud, Jassim Shamouh, Hussein Kankouni, Hussein Al-Aryan, Abdullah Fares, Abdullah Al-Ayoub, Khaled Al-Kharqawi, Abdullah Al-Sarraf, Mohammed Arhama, Mohammed Al-Suraie, Ahmed Bodi, Jassim Al-Matar, Fadel Al-Sarraf, Turki Al-Yousef, Mohammed Al-Omran, Abdullah Al-Basri, Ahmed Al-Rashidi, Montaser Suleiman, Omar Al-Azmi, Eid Talal, Jassim Al-Enezi, and Bandar Nawaf.

Despite this being the Northern Mariana Islands team’s debut in the qualifiers, the Kuwaiti technical staff acknowledges the match will be challenging. It aims to make a strong impression and secure a win, crucial for a successful start in the qualifiers. Coach Bacic and assistant Al-Fulaikawi are confident in their ability to select the best lineup from a team rich in promising talent.

By Hassan Musa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff