"Al-Kuwait" and Kazma Hope to Overcome "External Stumbles"
Al-Kuwait and Kazma face local challenges after external setbacks, while Al-Tadamun and Al-Arabi continue their victories in the Kuwaiti Premier League.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Kuwait, the league leaders, and their rivals Kazma hope to overcome their recent poor away performances when they face Salmiya and Al-Salmiya, respectively, on Sunday in the final matchday of the eighth round of the Zain Premier League.
At the end of the previous round, Kuwait topped the league table with 16 points, two ahead of Kazma. However, both teams return to domestic competition after disappointing away results. The “Whites” lost 3-2 to Uzbek visitors Nasaf Qarshi, despite leading in the first half, complicating their path to advancing to the second round of the AFC Champions League Two. Meanwhile, the “Oranges” suffered a harsh and historic 6-0 defeat away to Iraqi side Erbil in the Gulf Club Champions Cup, leaving them without any points after three matches.
Kuwait’s upcoming match will mark the debut of Al-Sahel under new manager and former player Saud Al-Dumaid, appointed by the club’s management to replace Ali Abdul-Razzaq, who resigned following a 3-2 loss to Al-Tadhamon in the previous round. That defeat was Al-Tadhamon’s fourth consecutive loss, leaving them with four points in 10th place.
Kazma faces a tougher test against Al-Salmiya (10 points), while the latter also seek to regain their winning form after squandering a likely victory in the previous round against Al-Sulaibikhat. Al-Salmiya conceded a 2-2 equalizer in stoppage time due to an unexplained error by their international goalkeeper, Abdulrahman Al-Fadli.
Meanwhile, Al-Arabi continued their upward trajectory under Bosnian coach Darko Nestorovic, securing their third consecutive win with a 2-1 victory over visitors Al-Nasr. The match saw Al-Arabi waste a penalty and a goal in the dying moments.
In the second half, the referee awarded Al-Arabi a second penalty after Sudanese player Abdulrahman Koko fouled Nigerian Ianu Aiwala, who converted it himself, but his shot hit the crossbar in the 47th minute.
In the final moments of the match, substitute Ali Al-Dokhi headed in the winning goal from a corner taken by Dutch player Walid Walid Al-Sheikh in the 96th minute.
On Friday, opening the round, Al-Tadhamon continued their resurgence under new coach Adel Marzouq, recording their second consecutive win with a 3-1 victory over hosts Al-Shabab.
The “Blue of Farwaniya” secured all three points despite playing most of the second half with 10 men after defender Walid Saad was sent off, and trailing 1-0 to the home side, thanks to a volley by Brazilian Michel Angelo inside the box in the 25th minute.
Al-Tadhamon turned the tide in the second half with a hat-trick: Saud Qasim (60th minute), outstanding substitute Ahmed Shabib with a brilliant strike (67th minute), and Abdulrahman Al-Rashidi (96th minute) following an excellent effort from Shabib.
In another match, Al-Sulaibikhat managed for the second consecutive round to come from behind to draw 2-2 against Al-Fahaheel, replicating the result of their previous encounter with Al-Salmiya.
Marzouq stated that the team never lost confidence despite going behind and playing with ten men, noting that such situations can sometimes have a positive impact on players as they strive to compensate for the numerical disadvantage.
He believed his substitutions in the second half were well-timed and contributed to the victory.
“The players did their part; it is the coaching staff that bears responsibility for defeats and will be held accountable. What happened after Al-Tadhamon’s player was sent off was chaos.”
