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Arab Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Arab Times
Al-Arabi hopes to end the season on a high in the Amir Cup semifinal
KUWAIT CITY, May 29: Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium will host the highly anticipated Amir Cup semifinal between Al-Arabi and Al-Salmiya tonight at 8:30. The two sides have faced each other three times this season in the Zain Premier League, with Al-Arabi holding the edge, winning twice (3-1 and 3-2) and drawing once (1-1). Despite the familiarity between the teams, tonight's knockout encounter promises a fresh intensity with a spot in the final on the line. Neither team had an easy journey to the semifinal stage, despite facing clubs from the Zain First Division League. Al-Arabi was pushed to the limit in the preliminary round by Al-Sulaibikhat, eventually advancing via penalty shootout (4-3) after a 2-2 draw in regular time. It then edged past Al-Jahra 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Al-Salmiya also struggled early on, narrowly beating Sahel—the bottom team in the First Division—2-1 in its opening match before overcoming Al-Nasr 3-1 to secure the semifinal berth. Under head coach Nasser Al-Shatti, Al-Arabi enters the semifinal determined to salvage its season after missing out on both the league title and the Crown Prince Cup. The Greens are eager to cap the campaign with silverware and see the Amir Cup as its final shot. Al-Shatti will rely on a talented squad led by standout players such as Bahraini international Kamil Al-Aswad, Nigerian striker Emmanuel Iwala, and a strong supporting cast including Ali Khalaf, Hassan Hamdan, Jumaa Aboud, Soufiane Bouchar, Hamza Khaba, Bandar Al-Salama, Hamad Al-Qallaf, Ali Aziz, and Hussein Ashkanani. Al-Salmiya, led by Croatian coach Ante Miša, is looking to reach the final after falling just short last season against Al-Qadsiya. Having been outperformed by Al-Arabi in their league meetings this year, the Sky Blues are motivated to turn the tables in the Amir Cup. Miša will count on a balanced lineup featuring key players such as Fawaz Ayed, Alex Lima, Amr Midani, Mahdi Dashti, Mohammed Al-Huwaidi, Al-Sanousi Al-Hadi, Sang Pierre, Moaz Al-Aseema, Emad Al-Lawati, and Issa Walid. With both teams hungry for success and redemption, fans can expect a fiercely contested battle as the Amir Cup nears its dramatic conclusion.
Arab Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Al-Arabi completes Amir Cup semifinal lineup
KUWAIT CITY, May 27: Al-Arabi secured the final spot in the Amir Cup semifinals with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Al-Jahra in the last quarterfinal match held at Thamer Stadium. With the win, Al-Arabi will now face Al-Salmiya in the first semifinal clash scheduled for Friday at Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium. The other semifinal will see Al-Qadsiya take on Kuwait Club tomorrow at Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium. Al-Arabi's path to qualification was far from straightforward. The team went ahead 2-0 thanks to goals from Nigerian forward Emmanuel Iwala in the 34th minute and Bahraini international Kamil Al-Aswad in the 52nd. Al-Jahra fought back, narrowing the margin with a goal by Abdulaziz Marwi in the 61st minute, but couldn't find the equalizer. This marks Al-Arabi's second challenge in the tournament after a tough preliminary round against First Division side Sulaibikhat, where it advanced on penalties (4-3) following a 2-2 draw after extra time. Al-Jahra head coach Mohammed Dahilis announced he would step down at the end of the season, describing his experience with the team as "beautiful and convincing." Under Dahilis' leadership, Al-Jahra earned promotion to the Zain Premier League by topping the Zain First Division League and made a commendable run in the Amir Cup, including a win over Kazma in the preliminary round. Reflecting on the loss to Al-Arabi, he said, 'We conceded from two mistakes. Al-Arabi is a strong team and deserved to win.' Club President Yousef Karim revealed that Al-Jahra will begin preparations for the upcoming season soon. 'We will develop a comprehensive plan to avoid repeating past mistakes,' he stated, praising the efforts of the club's technical, administrative, and medical teams, as well as the players. Al-Arabi player Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi expressed gratitude to head coach Nasser Al-Shatti for trusting him in the starting lineup. 'That trust gives me the confidence to give everything I have,' he said. Al-Awadhi, who previously played as a striker for Al-Yarmouk, emphasized his readiness to play any role needed for Al-Arabi. 'I'm fully committed to the team and will give my utmost to help us compete for every title.'
Arab Times
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Al-Arabi sets up showdown with Kuwait Club
KUWAIT CITY, April 29: Al-Arabi secured a place in the Crown Prince Cup final against Kuwait Club, scheduled for May 19 at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, after edging past Al-Qadsiya 1-0. Bahraini midfielder Kamil Al-Aswad scored the decisive goal. Earlier, Kuwait Club beat Kazma 4-2 to reach the final. The "Greens previously defeated Al-Qadsiya twice in the Zain Premier League (2-1 and 4-2) but suffered a narrow loss in the Super Cup semi-final. The two sides are set to meet again this Friday in the third round of the league championship group stage. To celebrate the win and motivate the squad, Al-Arabi Club President Abdulaziz Ashour awarded each player a KD 2,000 bonus for reaching the final. Meanwhile, Al-Qadisiya head coach Zeljko Petrovic expressed disappointment after the loss, stating: 'We didn't deserve to lose. My players performed better than Al-Arabi, but luck wasn't on our side.' He added that several missed chances contributed to the defeat and hinted at other unspoken factors that he would report internally. When asked about his future with the club, Petrovic responded, 'My contract ends on May 31. Whether I continue or not is up to the club. I wish it the best regardless.' Al-Qadsiya remains in contention for silverware, having already qualified for the quarterfinals of the Emir's Cup, with the final scheduled for June 16. Kuwait Club's Adel Aqla confirmed that decisions regarding contract renewals for professional players have been deferred until season's end. This decision comes under the direction of the club's board and technical staff, led by Montenegrin coach Nebojsa Jovovic. Among the club's foreign players, only Congolese midfielder Malik Zola has a contract extending into next season. The contracts of Tunisian striker Taha Khenissi, Moroccan midfielders Yahya Jabrane and Amin Abu Al-Fath, and Bahraini winger Mohammed Marhoon all expire after the current campaign. Aqla emphasized that the fate of the coaching staff would depend on the team's performance and achievements during the final stretch of the season. Kuwait SC currently leads the league by two points over Al-Arabi with three rounds to go and has also advanced to the quarterfinals of the Emir's Cup. Following Kazma's defeat to Kuwait Club, goalkeeper Faisal Al-Subaie criticized Russian referee Sergei Shapin, holding him accountable for the result. 'The referee disrupted the focus of our players, the substitutes, and even the fans,' Al-Subaie stated.
