Pizzi rallies Kuwait ahead of decisive World Cup qualifiers against Palestine and South Korea
KUWAIT CITY, June 1: Kuwait continues its intensive daily training sessions at Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, home of Al-Nasr Club, as it prepares for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Palestine (June 5) and South Korea (June 10). These matches represent the ninth and tenth (final) rounds of Group B in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Under the guidance of Argentine coach Juan Pizzi, the technical staff met with players before the first training session, stressing the importance of maximum effort, particularly in the pivotal clash against Palestine. Pizzi urged the team to maintain focus, strictly follow tactical instructions, and execute their roles to keep alive their slim hopes of reaching the Asian World Cup play-offs.
Currently, Kuwait sits at the bottom of Group B with 5 points. It must win both upcoming matches to stay in contention. However, qualification will also depend on Oman losing its remaining two games. The group standings are led by South Korea with 16 points, followed by Jordan (13), Iraq (12), Oman (10), and Palestine (6).
The Kuwaiti team will begin a training camp starting tomorrow, continuing through the match days. It is scheduled to travel to Seoul next Friday to face the South Korean side.
Coach Pizzi has called up a 26-player roster for the qualifiers, including key names like Saud Al-Hoshan, Fahad Al-Hajri, Yousef Nasser, and Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, among others.
Meanwhile, the Palestine national team delegation is set to arrive in Kuwait today to commence its training sessions immediately. Palestine striker Wissam Abu Ali will join the squad from Cairo, and Oday Al-Dabbagh is already participating in the training camp, which started in mid-May.
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