Al-Qadisiya to halt Al-Nasr's expansion... Al-Arabi meets Salibikhaet today

Nasser Al-Anzi

The teams of the Zain Premier League resume their competition for points, with two matches scheduled today to kick off Round 3. Al-Qadsiah, eighth with three points, hosts league-leading Al-Nassr, who have six points, in their first tough test against a rival and its home crowd. In the other match, ninth-placed Al-Arabi will face Al-Salmiya, tenth with one point each, in a bid to reconcile with their fans.

Two more matches will take place tomorrow, Saturday. Kuwait, with four points, will host Al-Jahra, who have three points, at the Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium. Meanwhile, Al-Fahaheel will host Al-Tadamun at the Naif Al-Dabbous Stadium; both teams are yet to earn any points.

In the clash between Al-Qadsiah and Al-Nassr, the “Yellow” side will not accept a second consecutive defeat after stumbling against their eternal rivals Kuwait in the previous round, conceding a late, decisive goal. Coach Ibrahim Mohamed must reconsider his starting lineup, where goalkeeper Hamid Al-Qallaf was the standout performer; a goalkeeper alone cannot secure a win for his team.

For his part, coach Zahir Al-Adwani has done well in guiding his team to two consecutive victories that propelled them to the top of the table. However, today’s match will be different, although the “Coral” side remains capable of securing a win.

In the Al-Arabi versus Al-Salmiya fixture, the situation for the “Green” side mirrors that of the “Yellow” side, as they suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat to Al-Jahra despite a promising start in their 3-3 draw with Kuwait. Therefore, their Croatian coach, Sablic, must address defensive errors before disaster strikes. Meanwhile, Al-Salmiya aims to achieve a positive result, as Al-Jahra did against their opponent today.

In tomorrow’s Saturday matches, titleholders Kuwait will seek a second victory over Al-Jahra, having shed the burden of their heavy clash with Al-Qadsiah thanks to Mohammed Marhoon, their trump card when things get tough. Marhoon has proven himself to be the team’s star player since last season. Al-Jahra, meanwhile, will enter the match with high morale against a heavyweight opponent. The Al-Fahaheel versus Al-Tadamun clash will be a contest aimed at healing wounds.