Kuwait delegation heads to Seoul ahead of final World Cup qualifier
KUWAIT CITY, June 5: The Kuwait national football team will depart today for Seoul, South Korea, as part of its preparations for its decisive clash against the host nation next Tuesday. The match marks the tenth and final round of Group B in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The delegation is led by Ayman Al-Husseini, a member of the Kuwait Football Association's Board of Directors, and includes the team's technical, administrative, and medical staff. The squad features 26 players, among them Saud Al-Hoshan, Fahad Al-Hajri, Mishari Ghannam, Reda Hani, Ahmed Al-Zenki, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Mohammed Daham, Yousef Nasser, Khaled Al-Rashidi, and Rashid Al-Dosari.
Other notable players in the traveling squad include Moaz Al-Dhafiri, Jassim Al-Matar, Mubarak Al-Fenini, Talal Al-Qaisi, Khaled Sabah, Suleiman Abdul-Ghafoor, Abdul-Wahab Al-Awadhi, Hassan Hamdan, Mohammed Khaled, and Hussein Ashkanani. The list is completed by Yousef Majed, Hamad Harbi, Abdul-Rahman Al-Rashidi, Mahdi Dashti, Moaz Al-Aseima, and Fawaz Ayed.
The Blues are set to begin training tomorrow evening (Saturday), with the final training session scheduled for Monday at Seoul World Cup Stadium — the venue for Tuesday's much-anticipated qualifier against South Korea.
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Arab Times
a day ago
- Arab Times
Kuwait delegation heads to Seoul ahead of final World Cup qualifier
KUWAIT CITY, June 5: The Kuwait national football team will depart today for Seoul, South Korea, as part of its preparations for its decisive clash against the host nation next Tuesday. The match marks the tenth and final round of Group B in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The delegation is led by Ayman Al-Husseini, a member of the Kuwait Football Association's Board of Directors, and includes the team's technical, administrative, and medical staff. The squad features 26 players, among them Saud Al-Hoshan, Fahad Al-Hajri, Mishari Ghannam, Reda Hani, Ahmed Al-Zenki, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Mohammed Daham, Yousef Nasser, Khaled Al-Rashidi, and Rashid Al-Dosari. Other notable players in the traveling squad include Moaz Al-Dhafiri, Jassim Al-Matar, Mubarak Al-Fenini, Talal Al-Qaisi, Khaled Sabah, Suleiman Abdul-Ghafoor, Abdul-Wahab Al-Awadhi, Hassan Hamdan, Mohammed Khaled, and Hussein Ashkanani. The list is completed by Yousef Majed, Hamad Harbi, Abdul-Rahman Al-Rashidi, Mahdi Dashti, Moaz Al-Aseima, and Fawaz Ayed. The Blues are set to begin training tomorrow evening (Saturday), with the final training session scheduled for Monday at Seoul World Cup Stadium — the venue for Tuesday's much-anticipated qualifier against South Korea.
Arab Times
a day ago
- Arab Times
Australia is on the brink of 2026 World Cup qualification
PERTH, Australia, June 5 (AP): A last-minute goal from Aziz Behich gave Australia a 1-0 win over Japan in Perth on Thursday and put the Socceroos within touching distance of the 2026 World Cup. With just the top two from Asia Group C certain of a place in the tournament, Australia was six points clear of third and will qualify for a sixth successive World Cup later Thursday if Saudi Arabia, next week's final group opponent, fails to win in Bahrain. The already-qualified Japan fielded an experimental XI with only Daichi Kamada and Koki Machida having made more than four international appearances, but still had the majority of possession and chances. Substitute Takefusa Kubo had perhaps the best opportunity with 10 minutes remaining, but the midfielder shot wide of the post from inside the area. In the 90th minute, Riley McGree broke free down the right and pulled back for Behich to curl home to bring Perth Stadium to its feet and give Australia a first win over Japan in 16 years. "It hasn't sunk in just yet, but when the final whistle went, it was a great feeling,' Behich said. "It was a tough game, and we had to grind it out. It's been a long campaign, and we have worked so hard.' The teams that finish third and fourth in the three groups in this third round of Asian qualifying will advance to a fourth stage to compete for the remaining two Asian places at the World Cup.
Arab Times
2 days ago
- Arab Times
Kuwait's World Cup dreams are on the line against Palestine
KUWAIT CITY, June 4: Kuwait will raise the slogan of 'Victory Only' when it hosts Palestine at 9:15 pm at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, in the ninth round of Group B of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. While victory is essential, it won't be enough for Kuwait to maintain hopes of reaching the Asian play-off stage. The team must also defeat South Korea in the final round next Tuesday in Seoul, and hope Oman loses both of its remaining matches. Currently, Kuwait sits at the bottom of the group standings with 5 points, behind South Korea (16), Jordan (13), Iraq (12), Oman (10), and Palestine (6). Head coach Juan Antonio Pizzi has included 26 players in the squad for tonight's match. The roster features: Saud Al-Hoshan, Fahad Al-Hajri, Meshari Ghannam, Reda Hani, Ahmed Al-Zanki, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Mohammed Daham, Yousef Nasser, Khaled Al-Rashidi, Rashid Al-Dosari, Moaz Al-Dhafiri, Jassim Al-Matar, Mubarak Al-Fenini, Khaled Sabah, Suleiman Abdul-Ghafoor, Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi, Hassan Hamdan, Mohammed Khaled, Hussein Ashkanani, Yousef Majed, Hamad Harbi, Abdulrahman Al-Rashidi, Mahdi Dashti, Moaz Al-Asima, and Fawaz Ayed. Since taking charge last July, Pizzi has yet to register a win with Kuwait, having drawn five matches and lost three in the qualifiers. He hopes to secure his first victory tonight and keep his qualification hopes alive. He's also demanding full focus and discipline from the players, especially after increasing the intensity in recent training sessions and addressing past defensive errors. On the other side, Palestine, coached by Ihab Abu Jazar, is full of confidence after its surprise 2-1 comeback win over Iraq. Abu Jazar is aiming for his second win in the qualifiers. The team has been training in Doha since mid-May, and the coach will rely on key players, including: Uday Al-Dabbagh (Aberdeen) Wissam Abu Ali (Al-Ahly) Ahmed Al-Qaq (North Carolina) Mohammed Ahbous (Al-Ansar) Kuwait's final training session, scheduled at Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, was canceled due to a dust storm that raised health concerns for the players. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) appointed a Tajik refereeing team for tonight's match: Sadullo Gulmuradi (Referee) Hasan Karimov and Farkhad Karilov (Assistant referees) Abdul Davalitov (Fourth official) VAR officials: Mohammed Obaid and Yahya Al Mulla from the UAE By Khaled Al-Enezi
