Kuwaiti players intensify training for the World Cup qualifier against South Korea.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 11: Kuwait transitioned its training to the auxiliary field at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium following three days of practice at Kuwait Club Stadium. This shift comes as part of preparations to face South Korea on Thursday at Jaber Stadium in the fifth round of Group Two for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Kuwait is also set to host Jordan next Tuesday in the sixth round of the same qualifiers.

All players took part in the recent training, with Khaled Al-Rashidi and Sultan Al-Enezi rejoining the squad, along with Hamad Al-Harbi, Youssef Nasser, and Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli, who returned after brief absences due to minor injuries.

Sultan Al-Enezi arrived early Saturday morning from Muscat after fulfilling his commitments with Oman's Dhofar Club, while Al-Rashidi joined following medical evaluations.

Kuwait's Argentine coach, Juan Pizzi, has intensified preparations for the match against South Korea, the group leader, acknowledging the challenge ahead. He is focused on selecting the best lineup for the game, emphasizing high effort from all players to aim for a positive outcome.

The South Korean delegation completed its arrival, with its professional players joining yesterday. The delegation began arriving in stages last Friday and held its first training session at Abdullah Al-Khalifa Stadium at Al-Yarmouk Club.

South Korea currently leads the group standings with 10 points, followed by Jordan with 7 points, narrowly ahead of Iraq on goal difference in third place. Oman ranks fourth with 3 points, while Kuwait is in fifth place, also with 3 points, and Palestine is in sixth with 2 points.

The AFC Referees Committee has appointed an Australian officiating team for the match. Shaun Evans will serve as the head referee, with assistants George Lakrands, Owen Goldrick, and Daniel Elder as the fourth official. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties will be managed by Alexander King and Catherine Jacques.

Additionally, Iranian official Esmail Safari has been assigned as the referees’ evaluator, and Kyrgyz Mikhail Tolkachev will serve as the match observer.