The Blue Team at Full Strength Two Days Before the Tournament

Abdulaziz Jasim

With high morale, the national football team continues its training sessions on the auxiliary pitches of King Abdullah International Stadium, preparing for the opening match against host Saudi Arabia in Group A of the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup.

The Blue Team will hold its training session 48 hours before the highly anticipated match with a full squad, following the return of Yousef Nasser and Mohsen Falah. Consequently, all options are available to Portuguese coach Helio Souza to select the appropriate lineup for the match, a crucial factor in their debut appearance.

Yousef has been the Blue Team’s primary striker in recent years, joined by Shibib Al-Khalidi, who has regained his form with Al-Kuwait SC this season across the three rounds played in the Zain Premier League. Thus, at the striker position, Coach Souza faces no issues; on the contrary, he has a young alternative in Abdullah Al-Owaidi, who is capable of making a notable impact and could prove to be a winning card in certain matches.

On the wings, there will be rotation between Eid Al-Rashidi, Mubarak Al-Fanini, and Mohammed Daham. The latter may have a higher chance of starting most matches due to his consistent performance under Souza.

The Blue Team’s training session yesterday was open to the media, which will be closed today. Access will then be granted to the media tomorrow for 15 minutes. Tomorrow will also see Coach Souza’s press conference at 11:30 a.m.