Kafr Qasim - Kuwait... Joint Leadership
Kazma and Kuwait shared the top spot in the top-tier Zain League following the conclusion of the third round, with the league suspended to allow the Kuwait national team to participate in the 27th Gulf Cup (Khaleeji 27), which will kick off on September 24 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Kazma secured a 3-2 victory over Al-Shabab to close out the third round in a thrilling match where both teams displayed a high level of technical skill.
In the first half, Kazma took the lead through Shuaib Al-Khalidi (26'), before Al-Shabab equalized via Matheus Toto, who scored from a long-range strike in the middle of the pitch (34'), ending the half with a draw.
The second half was equally exciting and competitive. Toto scored his second personal goal of the match in the 49th minute with an acrobatic finish that found the back of the net. Kazma then pushed for an equalizer and succeeded when Trulles Knoell scored the second goal in the 78th minute from a penalty kick.
In the final minutes, the "Orange" side intensified its attacking efforts against Al-Shabab’s goal in search of the winner. Nasser Mohammedwah eventually scored the third goal four minutes before the end of the match, securing the three points for his team.
The round’s results saw Al-Qadsiah, Kuwait, Al-Fahaheel, Al-Salmiya, and Kazma defeat Al-Nasr, Al-Jahra, Al-Tadamun, Al-Sahel, and Al-Shabab, respectively, while Al-Arabi drew with Al-Sulaibikhat.
Notably, Al-Arabi struggled in their match against Al-Sulaibikhat, facing significant difficulty in securing even a draw against an opponent that was close to victory. Al-Sulaibikhat led until the final minutes, 3-2, but Al-Arabi narrowly avoided defeat when Abdulwahab Al-Awadi scored an equalizer in the 90+9th minute, ending the contest 3-3.
Al-Arabi did not display their usual form, suffering from numerous absences within their squad. However, the administrative and technical staff will work during the current break to address the shortcomings observed in the past three rounds and return to competition.
