Al-Ahly lost to Portsmouth

Kuwait lost to English side Portsmouth 2-0 in their second friendly match during their training camp in the British capital, London, as they prepare for the start of the new football season on August 25. The White Team (Kuwait) delivered a solid first half, despite Portsmouth’s relative superiority. The English side fielded their starting lineup and maintained constant pressure, but Kuwait goalkeeper Saud Al-Houshan shone in defending his goal, making several crucial saves, including from well-placed set-pieces and headers. The first half ended goalless.

In the second half, Portsmouth made several changes, introducing a group of young players who posed a threat from the flanks. Kuwait continued to apply high pressure and created more than one chance, but the English goalkeeper denied them with a vital save. Portsmouth waited until the 79th minute to open the scoring, when substitute Kieran Sylvanus fired a powerful shot into the top corner of Al-Houshan’s net. He added a second goal in stoppage time after a shot from Nathaniel Chioma deflected off the underside of the crossbar and crossed the goal line.

This marks Kuwait’s second defeat in their preparation camp, following their 1-0 loss to Milton Keynes Dons in the opening friendly. They will play a third friendly against Barnet, a League Two opponent, next Sunday.

Kuwait are undergoing their pre-season preparations under their new Portuguese coach, Alexandre Santos, who took charge this summer, replacing Montenegrin manager Nebojša Jovović. The squad has also been strengthened with several new signings, most notably Hassan Hamdan, Salman Al-Awadhi, Mubarak Al-Mohammadi, Brazilian professional Carlinius, and Abdullah Al-Qarzai, as part of their preparations to compete for titles in the new season.