"The Blues" train in Jeddah... tomorrow
The Kuwait national football team will arrive in Jeddah on Wednesday afternoon to participate in the Gulf Cup (Khaleeji 27), hosted by Saudi Arabia from September 23 to October 6. The team concludes a short training camp held in the Qatari capital, Doha.
The players are scheduled to hold their first training session in Jeddah on Wednesday evening, at the request of the technical staff led by Portuguese coach Hélio Sousa. Sousa is awaiting the arrival of Kuwait SC players following their match against Al-Wehda in the AFC Champions League Two on Tuesday evening.
Kuwait, known as “The Blues,” will play a friendly match against Yemen next Friday. During this game, Sousa aims to assess the players’ readiness, particularly as it is the first time the national squad is at full strength.
Kuwait competes in Group A, alongside Saudi Arabia, whom they face in the opening match on September 23, as well as Iraq and Oman, whom they will play on September 26 and 29, respectively.
Al-Yousef urged the players to exert greater effort and dedication during training and the Khaleeji 27 tournament, and to represent Kuwait to the best of their ability.
Meanwhile, preparations for Kuwait’s rivals have been marked by controversy. The announcement by Moroccan coach Tariq Al-Skatiwi of Oman’s squad for Khaleeji 27 sparked widespread debate in Omani sports and media circles. His selections included the absence of several players accustomed to wearing the “Red” jersey in recent years, notably Al-Qadsiah striker Abdulrahman Al-Mashfari and Salah Al-Yahyaee, who plays for Jordan’s Faisaly Club.
The list of absentees was as notable as the included names. The technical staff excluded Ahmed Al-Khamisi, Salah Al-Yahyaee, Al-Mundhir Al-Alawi, Abdul Salam Al-Shakili, Al-Mashfari, and several other players who had previously been part of the national team.
Oman newspaper “Oman” described Al-Skatiwi’s choices as bringing “a host of surprises,” particularly because several excluded players had been part of the national team’s plans in recent months.
Al-Mashfari’s absence dominated the discussion, given his performance for the national team, his attacking potential, and his current experience with Kuwaiti club Al-Qadsiah.
Opinions in the Omani media considered Al-Mashfari’s exclusion a technical loss for “The Reds,” describing him as one of the most outstanding players among those left out. Questions remain regarding the technical reasons behind Al-Skatiwi’s decision not to include him.
