Al-Yousef meets Infantino in Switzerland
Al-Yousef stated that he discussed with Infantino the general developments in football and the affairs of the Kuwait Football Association in particular. This included an agreement for FIFA’s Head of Football Development, French coach Arsène Wenger, to visit Kuwait next November to inaugurate the “Al-Azraq” Academy. The federation president explained that during the meeting, he highlighted that the association has begun the necessary licensing procedures with the Public Authority for Youth and Sports and the Kuwait Municipality to build a new headquarters for the Kuwait Football Association and pitches for the “Al-Azraq” Academy, supported by a financial grant of $8 million from FIFA under the “FIFA Forward” program.
On another note, Al-Yousef announced that Kuwait has officially submitted a bid to host the AFC Futsal Asian Cup from January 25 to February 6, 2028, which will also serve as the qualification tournament for the 2028 FIFA World Cup. He noted that Kuwait has experience hosting the tournament, having previously organized the 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup. The federation president clarified that an AFC delegation will visit the country at the end of the current month to inspect the sports facilities that will host the tournament events.
Meanwhile, the Kuwait national team continues its training camp in the Qatari capital, Doha, which runs until September 16, as part of preparations for the Gulf Cup (Gulf 27), to be held in Saudi Arabia from September 23 to October 6.
“Al-Azraq” is training in two sessions, morning and evening, with 19 players out of a squad of 27. The remaining players are with Al-Kuwait Club, which is preparing to face the UAE’s Al-Ittihad Kalba on September 16 in the AFC Champions League Two.
“Al-Azraq” is scheduled to play a friendly match against Al-Lusail, one of the clubs in the Qatari Stars League, next Sunday, followed by a friendly against the Yemen national team in Jeddah on September 18.
The Yemen Football Association announced yesterday the formation of its official delegation, which will arrive in Jeddah today for a 12-day training camp that includes a match against “Al-Azraq.”
Yemeni players plying their trade abroad are expected to join the camp sequentially, including Dimani Al-Baghlawi, who plays in the English league after completing his registration documents with FIFA.
In preparation for their opponents, Australian coach Graham Arnold of the Iraq national team plans to make significant changes to the squad before the tournament, a move that appears closer to a rebuild following the team’s harsh exit from the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Iraq opens its campaign against Oman on September 23, then faces Kuwait on the 26th, before meeting host nation Saudi Arabia in the final group stage match on September 29.
According to a source close to the technical staff, the tournament squad is likely to see the absence of many players who participated in the World Cup qualifiers, clearly indicating Arnold’s desire for change and to give opportunities to a group of new faces.
Among the most notable names expected to be absent are goalkeepers Jalal Hassan and Fahad Talib, as well as defender Rebin Sulaka, who announced his retirement from international football, along with Manaf Yunes and Francis Butros. The absence of Kevin Yacoub and Youssef Al-Amin due to injury is also highlighted, along with striker Ali Youssef.
In contrast, the technical staff is opening the door to players who have excelled recently, including Al-Qahtani Club’s top scorer Saif Rashid, alongside Hassan Abdul Karim, Peter Korkis, Muntadher Majid, Youssef Al-Nasrawi, and goalkeeper Kamel Saadi.
