Al-Yarmouk faces Al-Sahel, while Al-Jahra meets Salibikhaet to decide qualification
The Al-Zain First Division league competitions reach their final, decisive stage today, with the last qualification spots for next season’s Premier League at stake. Four matches will be played, two of which will determine the remaining promotion berth. This follows Sahel’s earlier securing of the first qualification spot after drawing with Al-Salmiya in the previous round, while Al-Yarmouk dropped to third place after losing to Al-Jazeera, which renewed its hopes of a historic promotion with this victory.
Sahel will face Al-Yarmouk at Jaber Al-Ahmad Stadium, hosted by Al-Salmiya, while Al-Jazeera will take on Al-Salmiya at Nasser Al-Asimi Stadium, hosted by Khaitan. Burqan will face Sport Club at Sahel Stadium, and Khaitan will play Al-Shamya at the auxiliary field of Jaber Al-Ahmad Stadium. All matches will kick off at 8:10 p.m.
**Promotion Calculations**
Today’s results are interdependent, particularly the matches between Sahel and Al-Yarmouk, and Al-Jazeera versus Al-Salmiya. Sahel enters the clash with promotion already secured, having topped the table with 44 points after the previous round. Their opponent, Al-Yarmouk, sits third with 40 points but will continue to compete for promotion, hoping to win today and await the outcome of the Al-Salmiya-Al-Jazeera match. Al-Salmiya currently holds second place with 41 points, while Al-Jazeera is fourth with 38 points, keeping their promotion hopes alive. If Al-Jazeera defeats Al-Salmiya and Al-Yarmouk loses, both Al-Salmiya and Al-Jazeera would finish on 41 points. In such a scenario, the tie-breaker would be head-to-head results, where Al-Jazeera holds the advantage after winning their first-division encounter and drawing the second, meaning a win for Al-Jazeera today would officially confirm their promotion if Al-Yarmouk loses.
**Al-Salmiya in Control**
Al-Salmiya, led by Portuguese coach Miranda, will be in a position to control their own destiny. They will secure promotion with a win against Al-Jazeera or a draw, provided Al-Yarmouk either draws with or loses to Sahel. Before the round began, Al-Salmiya led second place with 41 points. A draw against Al-Jazeera, combined with a draw or loss for Al-Yarmouk, would guarantee their place in the Premier League. Conversely, a loss would eliminate them from contention, especially if Al-Yarmouk wins and claims the promotion spot, leaving Al-Jazeera as the beneficiary if Al-Yarmouk loses.
**Irrelevant Matches**
The other two matches are effectively dead rubbers for the four clubs involved and will not impact the promotion race. Khaitan faces Sport Club with no realistic chance of competing, while Burqan plays Al-Shamya without any competitive incentive.
**Kuwait to Face Kazma in Friendly**
Kuwait SC will play a friendly match against Kazma SC at 7:45 p.m. today at the Friendship and Solidarity Stadium, hosted by Kazma. The game is part of both teams’ preparations for the new season, which begins with the first round of the Al-Zain Premier League next Tuesday. Kuwait (the Whites) will face Al-Arabi, while Kazma will play Al-Tadamun.
Both teams have concluded their pre-season training camps. Kuwait held its camp in London, UK, while the Orange squad recently returned from Izmit, Turkey.
Kuwait will represent Kuwait in the 2022 AFC Champions League Two. They will begin their campaign away against UAE’s Al-Wahda on September 16 in the first group stage match. Kuwait will then host Al-Khalidiya on October 14 in the second round, before traveling to face Uzbekistan’s Nasaf on October 28. They will host Nasaf on November 4, followed by hosting Al-Wahda on November 28. The final group stage match will see them travel to Bahrain to face Al-Khalidiya on December 9.
