Kuwait’s Olympic team begins its Asian campaign against Vietnam today
Kuwait’s Olympic football team will kick off their campaign at the 20th Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya 2026), held in Japan from October 19 to October 4, with a Group Stage match against Vietnam in Group 3. The game is scheduled for 1:00 PM Kuwait time today at Nagoya City Minato Stadium.
The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarter-finals, which will be played in a single-elimination format.
The Olympic team’s preparations for the Asian Games have fallen short of expectations, as the squad conducted only a short training camp in Japan without playing any friendly matches. The team’s last gathering took place on June 4, when they trained at the Abdulrahman Al-Baker Stadium under the Kuwait Football Association.
Despite this, the technical staff of the “Blue Team,” led by Spanish coach David Donninga, aims to secure a victory to compete for a spot in the quarter-finals, acknowledging the difficulty of today’s match given the notable development of football in Vietnam.
The “Blue Team” will be without goalkeeper Abdulrahman Ajaji, Ali Hassan, and Nasser Khader, who were unable to enter Japan. Donninga has called up Al-Salmiya goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Ayoub, who has joined the team’s delegation in Tokyo.
Donninga is placing significant emphasis on the experience of several squad members who have previously represented the senior national team: Muath Al-Asim, Bandar Al-Salman, Ahmad Boudi, Fawaz Al-Mubayyid, Mohammed Al-Sharif, and Muntaser Al-Salama.
Kuwait is expected to adopt an attacking formation to neutralize the opponent early, while securing the defensive half starting from the middle of the pitch, particularly since Vietnamese players are known for their speed and high physical fitness.
The Kuwait Football Association stated that it fulfilled all necessary procedures and requirements in coordination with the Kuwait Olympic Committee to ensure the entry of Olympic team players Abdulrahman Ajaji, Ali Hassan, and Nasser Khader into Japan. However, Japanese authorities and the Asian Games organizing committee rejected their entry, despite issuing official accreditation cards that serve as entry visas, a standard procedure in major tournaments.
The Association emphasized that all documents were submitted on time and correctly through the Kuwait Olympic Committee, which officially liaised with the organizing committee without any negligence. It stressed that the Games are held under the umbrella of the Olympic Council of Asia, which deals directly with National Olympic Committees rather than federations.
The Kuwait Olympic Committee confirmed that it filed an official complaint against the Nagoya 2026 Asian Games organizing committee, protesting the denial of entry to three senior national team players despite the issuance of their official accreditation cards, which serve as approved entry visas for such tournaments.
Assistant Secretary-General Ali Al-Mari explained that the committee fulfilled all procedures and requirements, submitting data and documents within the specified deadlines, leading to the issuance of cards for the three players. However, relevant Japanese authorities at Nagoya Airport denied them entry.
He added that the Olympic Committee immediately initiated necessary communications with relevant authorities to address the issue upon its occurrence. He praised the efforts of Kuwait’s acting ambassador to Japan, Sheikh Jaber Al-Sabah, in following up on the case, reaffirming the committee’s commitment to protecting the rights of Kuwaiti athletes and ensuring their participation in international events.
