Al-Arabi advances to 'AFC Champions League Two' via East Bengal

Al-Arabi are aiming for an ideal start to the new season, both domestically and continentally, by advancing past the preliminary round of the AFC Champions League Two and reaching the group stage. They will face India’s East Bengal in a playoff tie at 4:30 p.m. Kuwait time, at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

The club enters the match with a different technical and playing setup. Croatian coach Goran Sablic has taken over the helm, replacing national coach Nasser Al-Shatti. The squad has been bolstered with several local and expatriate players following the departure of Bahraini international Kamel Al-Aswad, Moroccan player Nabil Marmouk, and the exits of Salman Al-Adwani, Abdulrahman Al-Sharhan, and Abdullah Al-Qarzai. New local additions include Ali Al-Dokhi, Talal Al-Qaissy, and goalkeepers Ahmed Aadi and Abdulrahman Ajaj.

The team retained Palestinian player Zaid Qanbar, Nigerian forward Anyo Iwuala, and Brazilian defender Leonardo Schelotto. They also added Ethiopian player Kinan Maleko, Brazilian Lucas Chaloun, and Senegalese midfielder Jawhar Khaled Rasoul.

During their training camp in Turkey, Al-Arabi played four friendly matches in preparation for the encounter with the Indian side. They lost 3-1 to Erzurumspor, drew 1-1 with Van Spor, and defeated Amad Spor 4-0, all Turkish clubs. In their final friendly, they fell 3-1 to Egyptian side Pyramids FC. These matches were part of the technical staff’s efforts to build cohesion between the new expatriate and local signings and existing squad members, including goalkeepers Sulaiman Abdulghafour and Jumaa Aboud, as well as players Mohammed Khaled, Khaled Al-Murshed, Hussein Ashkanani, Ali Aziz, Ali Khalaf, Youssef Majed, Bandar Al-Salman, and Abdulwahab Al-Adwani, and Abdullah Ammar.

In a morale-boosting development, the team received a video call yesterday from Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Tariq Al-Jalahma, who expressed his full support for the club and urged the players to give their utmost effort to secure victory and qualify for the AFC Champions League Two.