A file photo of Kuwaiti players.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 13: Kuwait will face a challenging match against South Korea at 5:00 PM this evening at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in the fifth round of Group Three in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

In the same group, Iraq will meet Jordan in Basra at 7:15 pm, while Oman will play against Palestine at the Sultan Qaboos Complex in Muscat at 7:00 pm.

Currently, Kuwait sits in fifth place with 3 points, while South Korea leads the group with 10 points. Iraq is in second place with 7 points, edging out Jordan on goal difference. Oman holds fourth place with 3 points, and Palestine is at the bottom with 2 points.

However, Kuwait’s task tonight will not be easy due to the significant technical gap between the two teams, especially considering their previous encounters in the first four rounds of the group’s competition.

Kuwait began the qualifiers positively with a 1-1 draw against Jordan and a goalless draw against Iraq, before suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat to Oman. They later tied 1-1 with Palestine in the last round.

The Blues' Argentine coach, Juan Pizzi, made several changes to the squad for today’s match against South Korea and the upcoming clash with Jordan (set to be hosted by Kuwait next Tuesday in the sixth round). The changes are due to injuries to goalkeepers Suleiman Abdul Ghafoor, Saud Al-Hoshan, and Hussein Ashkanani, as well as the suspension of Ahmed Al-Dhafiri due to accumulated yellow cards. The coaching staff has called up Khaled Al-Rashidi, Ahmed Adi, Ali Khalaf, and Fawaz Ayed, in addition to three youth team players under the age of 20: Nasser Khader, Montaser Abdul Salam, and Khaled Al-Kharqawi.

Victory today will not come easily, as the team faces one of Asia’s strongest sides. Kuwait has struggled against South Korea in the past, with just one victory over it in the 2000 Asian Cup. In the seven meetings since then, South Korea has won six times, with one draw (1-1) in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers in September 2011. On the other hand, despite a slow start for South Korea, drawing 0-0 with Palestine in the opening round, the team quickly regained form, securing a 3-1 win over Oman and a 2-0 victory over Jordan in the second and third rounds. South Korea also claimed a hard-fought 3-2 win over Iraq in the last round.

The Korean "Taeguk Warriors" will also be bolstered by the return of Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min, who has recovered from injury. However, South Korea's coach, Hong Myung-bo, emphasized his caution with Son's health, ensuring he is not overburdened during international matches. South Korea also boasts other key players such as Oh Se-hoon, Oh Hyun-joo, and Lee Jae-sung.