Al-Nasr to continue advancing... Al-Arabi for 'first win'

Al-Nasr seeks to maintain its strong momentum, while Al-Arabi hopes to secure its first victory, as the two teams face Al-Fahaheel and Al-Jahra in the opening matches of the second round of the Zain Premier League on Sunday.

Al-Arabi, known as “Al-Annabi,” recorded a notable 2-1 victory at Salmiya Stadium, whereas Al-Ahmar, known as “Al-Akhdar,” squandered a valuable win against titleholders Al-Kuwait, settling for a 3-3 draw after conceding an equalizer in stoppage time.

Conversely, Al-Fahaheel and Al-Jahra started their campaign with stumbling blocks, as Al-Fahaheel lost 1-2 to visitors Qadsia, and Al-Jahra returned from Al-Ahmadi defeated 2-3 by Al-Shabab after conceding a decisive goal in the final moments.

In the clash between Al-Arabi and Al-Jahra, the disparities between the two sides are evident, both in terms of squad composition and preparations. Al-Arabi boasts players who outshine their counterparts in Al-Jahra, particularly regarding foreign professionals.

Al-Arabi delivered a strong performance in the opening round, narrowly missing out on all three points despite the absence of their star Nigerian player, Iano Iwuala, due to injury.

Croatian coach Goran Sablic managed to regain some of Al-Arabi fans’ confidence following a disappointing start that saw the team lose 1-4 to Indian side East Bengal in the preliminary round of the AFC Champions League 2.

Sablic hopes his players will deliver a similar performance and display the high spirit they showed in the previous match.

For his part, Al-Jahra faces a difficult task against one of the title contenders, given the team’s modest preparations. Al-Jahra is the only participant in the Premier League that did not hold an external training camp, relying solely on local preparations.

Nevertheless, Al-Jahra produced a good second half against Al-Shabab, managing to return to the game after trailing 0-2, but a defensive coverage error cost them a goal in stoppage time.

In the other match, Al-Nasr enters the contest seeking a second consecutive win with high morale, following an important victory over hosts Salmiya that featured standout performances from several players, including Algerian professional Ayman Lakjaa, who has returned to the club after playing for them two seasons ago.

Meanwhile, Al-Fahaheel hopes to make up for their initial loss and secure a win to regain their balance, aware that any further slip-up could plunge the team into uncertainty under new technical leadership and Slovak coach Martin Svila.