'Al Azraq' heads to Doha with 19 players
“Preliminary” agreement for a “friendly” match with a Qatari club next Sunday
Khaled Al-Anzi
The national team delegation will depart at 3:00 PM today for the Qatari capital, Doha, to hold a short training camp, which is likely to include a friendly match against Qatari club Al-Lusail on September 13, as part of the preparation program for the “Gulf Cup 27” tournament. The tournament will be hosted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from September 23 until October 6 next year.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs, Dr. Tariq Al-Jalahma, was keen to attend the Blue’s training session yesterday, urging them to exert their utmost efforts in the upcoming national team fixtures.
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Eight Kuwaiti players will be absent from the Doha camp: Khaled Al-Rashidi, Saud Al-Houshan, Mohsen Falah, Reda Hani, Abdullah Al-Qarzai, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Mohammed Dhaham, and Youssef Nasser, due to their clubs’ engagements against the UAE’s Al-Ittihad on the 16th in the second-tier AFC Champions League tournament.
Portuguese manager Hélio Sousa has selected 27 players for the Blue’s squad: Abdulrahman Al-Fadli, Rakan Al-Saeed, Fahad Al-Hajri, Khaled Sabah, Youssef Al-Haqan, Abdulaziz Naji, Abdulwahab Al-Awadi, Rashid Al-Dosari, Muath Al-Dhafiri, Khaled Al-Murshed, Jassem Al-Mutairi, Adabi Shahab, Nasser Falah, Mehdi Dashti, Eid Al-Rashidi, Youssef Majed, Mubarak Al-Funayn, Abdullah Al-Awadi, Shuaib Al-Khalidi, in addition to the eight Kuwaiti players mentioned above.
The Blue concluded their training sessions yesterday in Kuwait at the Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium. The team will then depart for Doha, heading to Jeddah next Monday, to enter a training camp that will last until the start of the tournament, featuring a friendly match against the Yemeni national team on September 18.
The draw placed the “Blue” in Group A, alongside Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Iraq. They will kick off the tournament in the opening match against the Saudi “Green” on September 23, then face Iraq in the second round on the 26th, and conclude their group stage matches against Oman on the 29th of the same month. Group B comprises Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, and Yemen.
Al-Banai: Injuries are often psychological
Dr. Abdulmajid Al-Banai, chairman of the Medical Committee at the Football Association, stated that “the psychological factor causes injuries most of the time,” particularly regarding cramps and muscle tears. He considered that ensuring national team players reach a high level of physical fitness is the responsibility of the clubs. He clarified that the current injuries in the Blue’s ranks consist of varying bruises, the most prominent being for players Mohammed Dhaham and Rashid Al-Dosari. He emphasized that if things proceed positively, the national team will participate in the tournament with a full squad.
