Al-Salmiya to face Zed today, while Al-Arabi take on Pyramids on Tuesday

Al-Salmiya’s first team will play its first friendly match of its training camp in the Turkish city of Izmit this evening, after arriving there last Friday to begin the second and final preparation phase before the start of the Premier League season on August 25. The team will face Egypt’s ZED FC.

Al-Salmiya’s camp in Turkey will run until August 17, during which the team will play three matches in addition to the game against ZED. These fixtures will be against Qatar’s Al-Marikhia, Algeria’s Olympique de Chlef, and an as-yet-undetermined opponent, scheduled for August 6, 10, and 14, after which the team will return directly to Kuwait.

The Al-Salmiya technical staff, led by Bahraini coach Ali Ashour, has selected a 33-player squad, including three foreign players: Uzbek defender Shahzod Azimiddinov, Congolese defender Trezor Chipewa Bowa, and Syrian international attacking midfielder Mahmoud Al-Aswad. The list excludes Brazilian defender Alex Lima.

Meanwhile, Al-Kuwait’s first team continues its daily double-session training at its preparatory camp in London, the UK capital. The team played its first friendly match two days ago, losing to English side Milton Keynes Dons 1-0.

Al-Kuwait, known as “The Whites,” will face English Championship side Portsmouth in their second friendly next Wednesday, followed by a third match against English League Two side Barnet. The camp will conclude with a fourth friendly against an opponent whose name has not yet been announced.

Al-Kuwait’s coach, Portuguese manager Alexandre Santos, was keen to test all players in the match against Milton Keynes Dons, fielding 22 players.

In Turkey, Al-Arabi’s camp continues under Croatian coach Goran Sablić, as the “Green” team prepares for its August 12 clash against India’s East Bengal in the AFC Champions League Two playoff.

Al-Arabi is also scheduled to play a fourth friendly against Egyptian club Pyramids, who are also in their pre-season camp. Pyramids’ sporting director Hany Saied announced that the match will take place on Tuesday afternoon in the Turkish city of Erzurum.