Sousa: Fighting spirit and discipline behind victory over Syria

The Kuwait national football team resumes its training today, Sunday, in preparation for their match against Honduras scheduled for Tuesday, within the current international break.

The Kuwaiti national team had previously secured a 3-0 victory over Syria in the match played two days ago at the Friendship and Peace Stadium.

The technical staff, led by Portuguese coach Helio Sousa, subjected the players to training immediately following the Syria match. Meanwhile, the players underwent a light training session on Saturday morning, followed by a recovery session for all players to maintain fitness and prevent fatigue and exhaustion. The staff granted the players a rest from evening training on Saturday.

Kuwait gained several benefits from its encounter with Syria, including securing its first win since defeating Mauritania in the qualifiers for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar, which took place on November 25, 2025. Additionally, the team advanced two places in the FIFA rankings, moving up to 132nd globally from 134th.

The national team also delivered its best performance under Sousa’s leadership, marked by a strong result (3 goals), especially considering that despite three defeats in Gulf Cup 27, the Blue Team showed an acceptable level against Saudi Arabia.

Several players appeared at an excellent level, including goalkeeper Khaled Al-Rashidi, who fought hard to defend his goal, and defender Khaled Sahab, who neutralized Omar Al-Soma. Other standout performers included Abdullah Al-Qarzai, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Eid Al-Rashidi, and sharpshooter Shabib Al-Khalidi, along with Walid Saad in his debut for the Blue Team.

Kuwait’s head coach, Helio Sousa, emphasized that the 3-0 victory over Syria is now in the past. Stressing this point during the press conference held after the match, he noted that the focus is currently on the Honduras fixture and continuing to develop the Blue Team’s performance.

Sousa praised the players’ fighting spirit and tactical discipline, expressing confidence in all squad members and their ability to cover for absentees. He also commended Walid Saad’s level, noting that new players possess ambition and the desire to prove their worth in wearing the national team jersey.

Baniyan stated that previous training sessions witnessed high levels of player discipline, attributing this to the efforts made by the administrative staff led by Ali Abdulrahman Al-Musa and Ali Mahmoud.

He added that while the victory over Syria was wonderful, beyond the result, there is a group of young players whom the technical staff is working to develop through tactical and technical training.

He clarified that one of the key objectives of the current camp is to discover more players and give them opportunities, explaining that the Blue Team participated in a training session after the Syria match involving all players, whether they played in the game or not.

Baniyan concluded his statement by affirming that stability and continuous development will enable the Blue Team to compete in the future.