Sousa: 'Al-Azraq' Suffers from Loopholes and Needs Development
Kuwait's coach explains the reasons for the loss to Oman and emphasizes the team's need for development.
Translated by Alqyas from Al-Rai — Original source
Kuwait national team coach Helio Sousa said that “the Blues” need to improve and suffer from gaps, and that they “lost the ability to continue fighting” until the end of their match against Oman using the same tools with which they started the game, which ended in a 1-3 defeat in the final match of Group A of the 27th Arab Gulf Cup.
After taking an early lead through Shabib Al-Khalidi (6th minute), “the Blues” conceded three goals to Oman in the second half through Nasser Al-Ruwaihi, the new Al-Qadsiah professional (66th and 81st minutes), and Musab Al-Shaqbi (84th minute). This extended “the Blues’” struggle against their Omani counterparts, as they have not managed to beat them in any official match for nearly 28 years, specifically since November 1998.
The victory allowed Oman to equal Iraq in every aspect after Iraq’s 0-2 loss to Saudi Arabia, whether in points (4 each), goal difference (-1), or even the number of yellow cards (8). A draw was then conducted, which favored the Omani national team, who will accompany the leaders, Saudi Arabia (9 points), to the semi-finals.
Sousa explained at the press conference after the match on Tuesday that “the Kuwaiti national team had the best chances to score, but failed to capitalize on them, especially in the final touch and pass, despite the players reaching good positions in front of the goal without translating them as required.”
He added that “the national team started the second half well and had opportunities to extend their lead and score a second goal, but the lack of precision in the final pass prevented them from taking advantage.”
Sousa pointed out that “the Omani national team was more effective and managed to score from their first real chance, becoming stronger in the match thereafter. Meanwhile, Kuwaiti players gradually lost the ability to play in the way they started the game and faced difficulties that the opponent exploited.”
He emphasized that “the technical staff was aware of the nature of the Omani national team and warned the players that it is a team that does not give up and continues to run and fight until the final moments,” expressing regret that “the Blues” were unable to secure a positive result despite the opportunities they had.
The Kuwait coach noted areas that need improvement, confirming that his team failed to maintain its level throughout the entire match, saying: “There are some gaps in our capabilities, and we could have played better, but we cannot maintain the same level for all 90 minutes.”
Sousa concluded by emphasizing that while the Kuwaiti national team has shown improvement in some aspects, it still needs to address weaknesses and work on developing them in the coming period.
As “the Blues” players join their clubs’ preparations to resume the Zain Premier League after the end of the current international break on October 6, the national team will reconvene during the next break between November 9 and 17, holding a training camp in Kuwait or abroad (Qatar or the UAE), where they will play two friendly matches as part of preparations for the Asian Cup finals scheduled in Saudi Arabia between January and February 2027.
