Kuwait's Kazma to Face Al-Ittihad in 'Gulf Champions League'
The Gulf Champions League kicks off with a match between Kazma and Saudi Al-Ittihad, while Ajman faces Erbil, with both teams aiming to reach the quarterfinals.
Translated by Qiyas from الجريدة — Original source
The third round of the Gulf Club Champions League, in its third edition, kicks off tomorrow, Wednesday, with Kazma hosting Saudi club Al-Ahli at 9:00 PM at the Al-Ahli Stadium in Dammam.
In the same group, UAE’s Ajman will face Iraqi visitors Erbil at 8:00 PM at Rashid bin Saeed Stadium in Ajman.
The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarter-finals, which will be played in a two-legged home-and-away knockout format.
Kazma faces a serious test against a strong opponent featuring talented players, yet the team has set a clear objective for the match: to avoid defeat and return from Dammam with a win or, at the very least, a draw.
Kazma’s technical staff, led by Croatian coach Tadić, places great emphasis on their international players, particularly striker Shabib Al-Khalidi and Yemeni forward Nasser Mahmoud, in their bid to achieve their goal and compete strongly for a spot in the quarter-finals.
For his part, Saudi club Al-Ahli, managed by Australian coach Arthur Thomas, enters the match seeking three points and a victory with a comfortable margin.
Al-Ahli boasts several game-changing players, including Saudi international Khaled Al-Ghanam, and foreign professionals French striker Moussa Dembélé, playmaker Jordan Larson, Kosovan midfielder Blerim Džemaili, Spanish forward Álvaro Medina, and Slovak goalkeeper Marek Rodák.
In the other match, Ajman relies heavily on home advantage and crowd support to secure their first victory, keeping in mind that they are a solid team and a strong contender for qualification.
