Kuwait and Kazma Face Salibikhaat and Qadsia in 'Al-Tayyara' Cup Semifinals
Two matches will be held for the semifinals of the resumed Volleyball League, with Kuwait facing Salibikhaat and Qadsma facing Qadsia.
Translated by Qiyas from النهار — Original source
Kuwait will face a challenging match against Al-Salmiya at 5:00 PM today in the semifinals of the 2025-2026 Volleyball League, which resumed from last season. In the other semifinal, Al-Qadsia will take on Kazma at 7:00 PM. Both matches will be held at the Union Hall in the Sheikh Saeed Al-Abdullah Indoor Sports Complex.
Kuwait advanced to the second round of the tournament thanks to a forfeit victory awarded for topping the preliminary round, after securing three wins and one loss. Al-Qadsia finished second with three wins and one loss, while Kazma placed third with the same record. Al-Salmiya came fourth with only one win and three losses, and Al-Arabi was eliminated after finishing fifth with four defeats.
Al-Salmiya’s qualification to the semifinals marks a historic milestone for the club, as it reaches this stage for the first time in its history. Led by Tunisian coach Niaz Salam, Al-Salmiya aims to deliver its best performance and secure a positive result. The team previously faced Al-Ahli (Kuwait) in the second round and narrowly lost 2-3, giving them hope of pulling off an upset and reaching the final.
Coach Salam relies on a group of local players, including Abdulrahman Al-Mutawa, Abdulnasser Dashti, and Mubarak Al-Haddi, alongside Omani foreign player Falah Sulaim and Ghanaian Ibrahim Abdulhamid.
Meanwhile, Al-Ahli (Kuwait) seeks to confirm its superiority and reach the final without difficulty by winning today’s match. The team is led by Argentine coach Ruben Adrian, who depends on experienced players such as Abdullah Boffatin and Abdulaziz Najem, as well as Brazilian Marcus de Souza and Swedish player Jacob Link.
In the second match, the contest between Al-Qadsia and Kazma is expected to be highly competitive due to their similar levels, with a slight edge going to Al-Qadsia (the “Orange”), which has won the last two encounters between the two sides. Al-Qadsia is managed by Argentine coach Humberto Alejandro, who relies on American foreign player Cole Gilles and Beninese player Dawood Yacoub, along with locals Rashid Anbar, Saud Al-Duwaisan, and Abdullah Al-Assaf.
On the other side, the “Orange” aims to reaffirm its dominance over its opponent under the guidance of Brazilian coach Anderson de Oliveira. Kazma counts on players Meshal Al-Omar, Abdulaziz Muhareb, Abdulrahman Al-Mulla, Brazilian foreign player Costa, and Colombian Juan Felipe.
