Al-Abdullah and Shafi Referees in 'U17 Gulf Cup'

Kuwait officials: Kuwait’s first-team head coach, Syrian Firas Al-Khatib, expressed his delight at the important 3-1 victory over Bahrain’s Al-Khaldiya at Jaber Al-Ahmad Stadium in the second round of Group 1 of the AFC Champions League Two.

Speaking after the match, Al-Khatib said, “The game was tough, and the players in white were heroes, delivering a high level of performance until the final minute. The credit for this victory belongs to them, as they represent the country, which doubled their spirit.”

He emphasized that this win was crucial following the 3-2 defeat away to UAE’s Al-Ittihad Kalba in the opening round, hoping that the three points would serve as a positive start to their campaign for qualification to the next stage.

Al-Khatib noted that he was forced to make three substitutions due to injuries, bringing off Meshari Ghannam, Mohammed Faraih, and Ali Hussein. Additionally, Rida Hani experienced some discomfort during the pre-match warm-up, so the coaching staff decided not to include him in the lineup. He stressed that such incidents can disrupt any team, but Kuwait remained unaffected thanks to the quality of its star players.

Al-Khatib clarified that the team enters every competition with the aim of winning the title, a legitimate aspiration despite the presence of strong clubs in the AFC Champions League Two. He added that Kuwait is a major footballing nation and has the right to strive for the furthest possible progress.

Kuwait’s goals were scored by Faisal Zayed (45+1) and Youssef Nasser (65th minute, penalty; 90+6). Al-Khaldiya’s sole goal was netted by Brazilian player Gilson Moreira (80th minute).

Kuwait currently sits second in the group with three points, while Al-Ittihad Kalba leads with six points. Al-Khaldiya and Uzbekistan’s Nasaf Qarshi occupy third and fourth place, respectively, each with one point.