Latest news with #DarioPesic
Arab Times
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Kuwait continues U-23 qualifier build-up with second friendly in Cairo
CAIRO, July 12: The Kuwait Olympic football team will take on Egyptian club El Gouna this evening in its second friendly match, part of its ongoing training camp in Cairo, which began last Monday. The Blues are scheduled to play two more matches against the Egyptian national team in July Kuwait fell 1-3 to Malia Kafr El-Zayat last Thursday in its first match, with Jarrah El Helili scoring the team's only goal. The camp is a key component of Kuwait's build-up to the AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers, which will be hosted by Saudi Arabia in January. Kuwait is drawn into Group B of the qualifiers, alongside Japan, Afghanistan, and Myanmar—the group stage host—from September 1 to 9. Head coach Dario Pesic of Croatia and his assistant, Mohamed El-Felakawy utilized the match against Kafr El-Zayat to assess as many players as possible, using two different lineups in each half. The goal is to evaluate individual readiness before finalizing the roster for the qualifiers. In addition to tactical experimentation, the coaching staff is focused on improving the players' fitness and fostering team chemistry, especially important given the inclusion of several new faces in the squad. The ultimate aim is to prepare a competitive team capable of delivering positive results in the upcoming qualifiers.
Arab Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Kuwait Olympic soccer team eyes strong build-up against Kafr El-Zayat
CAIRO, July 9: The Kuwait Olympic soccer team will kick off its first friendly match this evening against Egyptian side Kafr El-Zayat, marking the beginning of a series of warm-up games during its training camp in Cairo, which started last Monday. Kuwait is scheduled to play three more friendlies during the camp. It will face El Gouna on Sunday, followed by two matches against the Egyptian national team on July 17 and July 20. This intensive training camp comes as part of preparations for the AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers, set to take place in Saudi Arabia in January. Kuwait has been drawn into Group B, alongside Japan, Afghanistan, and host nation Myanmar. The group stage will be played from September 1 to 9. Under the leadership of Croatian head coach Dario Pesic and assistant coach Mohammed Al-Failakawi, 29 players have been selected for the squad: Squad List: Jassim Al-Matar, Abdullah Al-Ghaniman, Ahmed Bodi, Mohammed Al-Sharifi, Abdullah Musa, Abdulredha Shehab, Bader Al-Mutairi, Yousef Majed, Hussein Al-Aryan, Mohammed Al-Kandari, Omar Al-Matar, Khaled Al-Kharqawi, Mohammed Al-Suraie, Saleh Al-Muhattab, Jarrah Al-Hilali, Salem Al-Khatlan, Omar Al-Saleem, Montaser Abdulsalam, Omar Al-Azmi, Hussein Shehab, Abdulrahman Al-Rashidi, Ali Jabr, Nasser Al-Enezi, Bandar Al-Barazi, Abdulrahman Al-Harbi, Jassim Al-Enezi, Adel Al-Shammari, Dhari Al-Masri, Moaz Al-Aseema, and Munir Al-Subaie. Coach Pesic and his staff aim to enhance the team's overall readiness and build stronger chemistry among the players, particularly as several new faces have joined the squad. The ultimate goal is to deliver strong performances and secure qualification for the U-23 Asian Cup Finals.
Arab Times
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Kuwait's road to the AFC U-23 finals begins with Cairo training camp
CAIRO, July 7: Kuwait's U-23 Olympic football team began its training camp in the Egyptian capital as part of its preparations for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers, scheduled to take place in January 2026 in Saudi Arabia. The Blues arrived in Cairo earlier in the day and launched their training program under the guidance of Croatian head coach Dario Pesic and his assistant Mohammed Al-Fulaikawi. The camp aims to boost player fitness and team cohesion ahead of the upcoming qualifiers. Kuwait will compete in Group B of the qualifiers, which includes Japan, Afghanistan, and host nation Myanmar. The group matches will take place from September 1 to 9. Pesic has named a 29-player squad, drawing talent from several domestic clubs: Al-Qadsiya: Jassim Al-Matar, Abdullah Al-Ghaniman, Ahmed Bodi, Mohammed Al-Sharifi Al-Arabi: Abdullah Musa, Abdulredha Shehab, Bader Al-Mutairi, Yousef Majed, Hussein Al-Aryan Kuwait Club: Mohammed Al-Kandari, Omar Al-Matar, Khaled Al-Kharqawi, Mohammed Al-Suraie Kazma: Saleh Al-Muhattab, Jarrah Al-Hilali, Salem Al-Khatlan, Omar Al-Saleem, Montaser Abdulsalam, Omar Al-Azmi, Hussein Shehab Al-Nasr: Abdulrahman Al-Rashidi, Ali Jabr, Nasser Al-Enezi, Bandar Al-Barazi Al-Tadamon: Abdulrahman Al-Harbi Al-Jahra: Jassim Al-Enezi, Adel Al-Shammari Al-Sahel: Dhari Al-Masri Al-Salmiya: Moaz Al-Asima Al-Shabab: Munir Al-Subaie As part of the camp, the team will play four friendly matches, including two against the Egyptian national team on July 17 and 20, and two others against ENPPI and Malia Kafr El-Zayat on dates to be confirmed. The coaching staff is focused on elevating the readiness of both seasoned and newly selected players. Building team chemistry and integrating fresh talent are central to their strategy, with the ultimate goal of advancing to the tournament finals. Following the Cairo camp, the team will return to Kuwait for continued daily training sessions before heading to an East Asian country in August for a second training camp. From there, they will travel directly to Myanmar one week ahead of their group stage matches to acclimate to local conditions. According to tournament regulations, the top team in each of the ten qualifying groups, along with the five best second-placed teams, will advance to the final tournament, joining host Saudi Arabia. The 16 qualified teams will be divided into four groups for the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
Arab Times
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Kuwait U-23 team departs for Cairo training camp
KUWAIT CITY, July 6: The Kuwaiti Olympic soccer team departed for Cairo, Egypt, to begin a training camp that will feature three friendly matches as part of their preparation for the AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers. This camp marks the second phase of the team's preparations for the qualifiers scheduled from September 1 to 9. Kuwait is drawn in Group B alongside host Myanmar, Japan, and Afghanistan. The Blues are set to play two confirmed friendlies against Egypt on July 17 and July 20, with negotiations ongoing for a third friendly match to further sharpen the squad. The team began its initial training phase on June 15 at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium's auxiliary field, under the leadership of Croatian coach Dario Pesic. The camp features the full squad except for Mohsen Falah, who was sidelined due to injury. Mohammed Al-Sharifi from Al-Qadisiyah has been called up as his replacement.
Arab Times
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Al-Sharifi replaces injured Falah in Kuwait U-23 squad
KUWAIT CITY, July 3: Kuwait Olympic team coach, Croatian Dario Pesic, has called up Al-Qadsiya player Mohammed Al-Sharifi to replace Mohsen Falah, who sustained an injury during recent training sessions. The team continued its daily preparations at the auxiliary field of Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, in anticipation of the AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in January 2026. The team is set to hold its final training session in Kuwait next Sunday before departing for a training camp in Cairo the following day. The camp will feature three friendly matches, including two confirmed fixtures against Egypt on July 17 and 20. Discussions are ongoing to finalize a third match. Kuwait has been drawn into Group B for the AFC U-23 qualifiers alongside Japan, Afghanistan, and Myanmar, with Myanmar designated as the host nation for the group matches from September 1 to 9. According to the tournament format, the top team from each of the ten qualifying groups, along with the five best second-placed teams, will advance to the finals. They will join host nation Saudi Arabia to complete a 16-team lineup, which will be split into four groups for the final tournament. Following the Cairo camp, the Blues will continue their training to maintain momentum and fine-tune their readiness. The team is scheduled to arrive in Myanmar one week before the qualifiers begin, to acclimate to the local weather conditions. Team manager Al-Ateeqi expressed confidence in the squad, emphasizing the players' understanding of the responsibility they carry. "Our ambition is clear — to qualify for the final tournament. I believe in the capabilities of our players and trust they will rise to the occasion," he said. Meanwhile, Kuwait's youth and junior national teams have also begun early preparations, launching training sessions at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium's auxiliary field earlier this week. The Kuwait Football Association's Technical Committee stressed the importance of starting training early to ensure full readiness ahead of upcoming Gulf, Arab, regional, and continental competitions.
