Round Five: Kuwait Maintains Top Spot, Kazma Returns to Form

Kuwait continued its strong momentum and impressive results, this time at the expense of Al-Salmiya with a seven-goal thrashing, in which the league leaders delivered a refined and technically superior performance in the fifth round of the Zain Premier League. Meanwhile, Kazma managed to keep the pressure on after securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Al-Jahra, while Al-Fahaheel sealed their clash against Al-Shabab with a valuable 2-0 win. Al-Nasr also claimed a 2-1 victory over Al-Tadamun.

Al-Abyad... Creativity and Convincing Performance

One of the standout features of Kuwait is their ability to score early, which disrupts their opponents’ defensive structure. This was exactly what happened against Al-Salmiya, who conceded six more goals after the first, losing 7-0 in a manner reminiscent of Al-Nasr’s defeat in the previous round. Coach Firas Al-Khatib deserves credit for varying his tactical approach and introducing substitute players who made a decisive impact—traits befitting a champion side.

Al-Oranji... Back on Track

Kazma’s win over Al-Jahra may not have been accompanied by a particularly outstanding or transformative performance, but it secured the most important result: a victory after their draw with Al-Arabi in the previous round and their loss to Saudi club Al-Ittihad in the Gulf Club Champions Cup. Although Kazma dominated and posed the greater threat throughout both halves, observers had expected a much higher level of performance given the caliber of players in their squad.

Al-Anabi... Timely Victory

Al-Nasr achieved the desired result against Al-Tadamun, securing both a win and a restoration of confidence. Following a heavy 7-1 defeat to Kuwait in the previous round, the team’s morale and self-belief had been shaken. A positive result was essential to return to their normal trajectory. Al-Anabi started aggressively, scoring the opening goal, but their intensity waned at times, allowing Al-Tadamun to equalize. However, their determination to win ultimately led to a second goal and a crucial victory.

Al-Fahaheel... Significant Progress

Among the teams that have shown steady improvement and emerged as one of the top sides in the league is Al-Fahaheel. After a shaky start and mediocre performances in the first two rounds, including two losses, the team’s fortunes changed dramatically. They have since won three consecutive matches, delivering impressive performances in each, most recently against Al-Shabab. In that game, they displayed a well-organized attacking and defensive structure, indicating that Al-Fahaheel is steadily regaining the form of previous seasons. However, the new technical staff needed time to implement their ideas.

Al-Shabab... Absent Mentally

The players and administrative and technical staff of Al-Shabab must quickly put the loss to Al-Fahaheel behind them psychologically, but they must also analyze it technically. The team that played in the previous round was completely different from the one that lost to Al-Fahaheel, despite fielding the same names. This suggests that the “Sons of Ahmadi” were mentally absent, still riding the high from their victory over Al-Salmiya, which resulted in the poor performance displayed.

Al-Jahra... Lacked Fight

Al-Jahra failed to produce anything that would justify earning a point against Kazma. The team showed little reaction after conceding the opening goal; in fact, they defended for most of the second half, which made it easy for their opponents to hold onto the sole goal. Players should have fought harder, at least by pressing the attack and harassing the opposition’s defenders with every ball, but this did not happen, making the defeat well-deserved.

Al-Salmiya...

Al-Sulaibikhat tried to keep pace with Kuwait at the start of the match, but the approach they adopted was flawed, and the reason was clear: the significant gap in quality between the players. It would have been more prudent to play a zonal defense, wait for time to pass and the opponent’s patience to wear thin, and then launch organized counterattacks. Instead, the opposite occurred, and the team conceded seven goals, which was a natural consequence of their playing style in the opening stages.

Al-Tadamun: Played and lost

Although Al-Tadamun’s performance against Al-Nassr was good and much better than in previous encounters, which they all lost, the team failed to achieve its objectives and did not even secure a single point that could have boosted their morale. Perhaps after the match, Al-Tadamun’s players and the administrative and technical staff will say, “At the moment, we don’t want good performances; we want points,” which is understandable as they strive to escape from last place.