Kuwait U-17 team finalizes preparations in Salalah ahead of Asian Cup qualifiers against Bahrain
Kuwait's U-17 national team completes its preparations in Salalah ahead of matches against Bahrain, Lebanon, Brunei, and Oman in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Muscat, November 7 (KUNA) -- The Kuwait U-17 national football team completed its preparations in Salalah, Oman, on Saturday ahead of the start of its group stage in the qualifiers for the 2027 AFC U-17 Asian Cup, which begins tomorrow with a match against Bahrain.
Kuwait’s “Blue” team is drawn in a group alongside Bahrain, Lebanon, Brunei Darussalam, and host nation Oman. The group winner will advance to the final tournament, which will feature nine teams that have already qualified.
Speaking at a press conference, Brazilian coach of the U-17 squad, Caiu Zanardi, said the team had prepared intensively for these qualifiers, beginning their preparations in Kuwait before participating in the recent Gulf Cup held in Doha.
Regarding the upcoming match against Bahrain, Zanardi confirmed that the players were ready for the game and expressed hope for a strong performance and respectful competition among all participating teams. He emphasized that all four matches in the group stage are “finals” in which the team aims to secure victories, particularly in the opening match, which will not be easy against a “respectable” team like Bahrain.
In Group J, the U-17 team will face Bahrain tomorrow, Sunday, followed by Lebanon on November 14, Brunei Darussalam on November 17, and host Oman on November 20 in their final group match.
Earlier, a coordination meeting for the qualifiers was held, attended by representatives of the participating national teams. The meeting covered match schedules, training venues, stadiums, and other administrative matters.
Thirty-five teams are participating in the Asian qualifiers, divided into seven groups. The competition follows a single-round-robin format with centralized hosting, running until November 20. Only the group winners will advance to the 22nd edition of the finals, scheduled to take place in Uzbekistan in May next year.
These qualified teams will join nine others that have already secured automatic qualification by participating in the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar: Australia, China, Japan (the defending champions), the Republic of Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. (End) M.J.B / M.M.J
