Kuwait stumbles against Bahrain, must beat Saudis to reach Asian finals
This loss pushed Kuwait to second place in the standings with three points, trailing Bahrain, who lead with four. Saudi Arabia and the UAE follow with two points each, while Oman sits at the bottom with one point.
Despite a promising start to the tournament — which serves as a qualifier for the Asian Cup finals — with a 63-44 win over the UAE, the Blues failed to maintain momentum in their second outing, falling short of the expectations placed upon them as title contenders.
Kuwait began the game strongly, keeping pace with Bahrain and trailing narrowly 25-22 at the end of the first quarter. However, a dramatic decline in performance in the second quarter saw the host take full control, outscoring the Blues 33-9 to head into halftime with a commanding 58-31 lead.
Bahrain's dominance continued in the second half as it widened the gap further, ending the third quarter 80-43 and wrapping up the match with a convincing 93-52 win, a 41-point margin.
All teams are scheduled to rest today before action resumes tomorrow with two matchups: Saudi Arabia vs. Oman, and UAE vs. Bahrain. Kuwait will close its campaign the following day with a critical clash against Saudi Arabia — a match expected to decide the second team to qualify for the Asian Finals alongside the Gulf Cup champion.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab Times
a day ago
- Arab Times
Kuwait U-17 suffers friendly loss in Cairo
CAIRO, Aug 20: Kuwait's U-17 girls' team lost 2-0 to Egypt's Al-Jazira Club in its first friendly match, part of its training camp currently underway in Cairo. The team is scheduled to play several more friendly matches before the camp concludes in early September. The team is preparing for the Asian Cup qualifiers for the 2026 finals in China. Kuwait has been drawn into Group B alongside Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Lebanon. The qualifiers will be held in Saudi Arabia from October 13 to 17.
Arab Times
2 days ago
- Arab Times
Kuwait team prepares for Asian Cup qualifiers in Cairo
CAIRO, Aug 19: The Kuwait girls' soccer team has started its training camp in Cairo, Egypt, as part of preparations for the Asian Cup qualifiers in Saudi Arabia. Adel Youssef, Director of the Technical Department at the Kuwait Football Association and Head of the delegation, invited the players' parents to a dinner. The gathering aimed to strengthen ties between the players, their families, and the coaching staff, provide updates on preparations, and boost the team's morale ahead of the tournament. Youssef expressed his hopes that the camp would successfully achieve its objectives and help the team perform strongly in the qualifiers.
Arab Times
3 days ago
- Arab Times
Kuwait junior volleyball team gears up for clash with Iraq
AMMAN, Aug 18: Kuwait's national junior volleyball team is stepping up preparations ahead of its crucial match against Iraq tomorrow at 3:00 PM. The encounter marks the third and final round of Group B in the 17th Arab Junior Volleyball Championship, currently underway at the Sports Palace Hall in Amman, Jordan. The tournament continues until August 26. The Blues opened their campaign with a convincing 3-0 victory over Palestine but suffered a 1-3 setback against Bahrain in their second match. Under the tournament's format, all teams advance to the quarter-finals. The top team from Group A faces the fourth-placed team from Group B, the second from Group B takes on the third from Group A, the top team from Group B meets the fourth from Group A, and the second from Group A clashes with the third from Group B. In today's other group matches, Egypt meets Libya in Group A, while Palestine squares off against Iraq in Group B.
