Kuwait's Blue Team concludes its Gulf preparations with a match against Yemen in Jeddah tomorrow
The Kuwait national football team will face the Yemeni national team in a “closed” friendly match at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s training center in Jeddah. This match marks the final stage of Kuwait’s preparation program for the 27th Gulf Arab Cup, which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host from the 23rd of this month until October 6.
The match carries double significance as it serves as the final rehearsal for the “Blue” team before entering the atmosphere of the Gulf tournament. The draw placed Kuwait in Group A alongside Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Oman, while Group B comprises Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Yemen.
Kuwait prepared for tomorrow’s encounter through two training sessions today. The first took place in the morning at the weight room in the delegation’s accommodation, and the second in the evening on the auxiliary pitch of King Abdullah Stadium. The technical staff, led by Portuguese coach Hélio Souza, exempted eight players from Al-Kuwait Club from the morning session after they arrived in Jeddah early this morning, following their participation with their club against Al-Wehda of the UAE in the opening round of Group A of the AFC Champions League Two. The match ended with a 3-2 victory for the home side in Abu Dhabi this evening.
Seven of Kuwait’s players participated in the evening training, while player Mohsen Falah was absent. He underwent a detailed medical examination by Dr. Abdulmajid Al-Bunai, head of the medical committee of the Kuwait Football Association and head of the national team’s medical staff, following an injury sustained during the match against Al-Wehda that required his substitution. His availability for the “Khaleeji 27” tournament remains uncertain pending further notice.
Regarding the upcoming friendly, Souza decided to give all players on the squad an opportunity to assess their technical and physical readiness and provide a final evaluation, given the narrow time gap of no more than five days between tomorrow’s match and the start of the Gulf tournament. To this end, the Portuguese coach requested the administrative staff to coordinate with the Yemeni side to impose complete secrecy on the match and close the stadium to media and spectators.
