Kuwait Intensifies Preparations Ahead of Friendlies Against Uzbekistan and Morocco

Kuwait Ramps Up Preparations Ahead of High-Stakes Friendlies and Arab Cup Playoff As part of its strategic push toward the upcoming Arab Cup playoff, the Kuwait national football team is intensifying its training efforts in anticipation of friendly fixtures against Uzbekistan and Morocco. In a crucial phase of their international calendar, Kuwait is set to use the October FIFA break to fine-tune its squad under the watchful eye of Portuguese head coach Helio Sousa. According to the Kuwait Football Association, the team will kick off its international camp by traveling to Tashkent on Monday for a friendly clash with Uzbekistan scheduled for October 9. Immediately afterwards, the team will relocate to Dubai on October 10 for a second leg of the training camp, culminating in a match against Morocco’s local national team on October 14. The delegation is slated to return to Kuwait the following day. The friendlies form part of Sousa’s broader strategy to maximize the international break ahead of the decisive Arab Cup playoff game against Mauritania on November 25 in Doha. A win in that match would grant Kuwait entry into the Arab Cup finals, placing them in the group stage alongside Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. Preparations for the friendlies are already underway, with squad training having commenced last Monday at the Friendship and Peace Stadium before transitioning to the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium. In addition to tactical drills, players have been subjected to rigorous morning fitness sessions held at a specialized health institute, aimed at optimizing the squad’s physical performance. Coach Sousa has selected a 26-man squad for the training camp. Key players named include Saud Al-Janahi, Khaled Al-Rashidi, Saud Al-Hoshan, Abdulrahman Ajaj, Fahad Al-Hajri, Mishari Ghanem, Khaled Sabah, Mohammed Khaled, Rashid Al-Dosari, Khaled Ibrahim, Abdulwahab Al-Awadhi, Nasser Al-Enezi, Hassan Hamdan, Khaled Al-Morshed, Mahdi Dashti, Reda Hani, Ahmed Al-Dhafiri, Athbi Shehab, Sultan Al-Enezi, Fawaz Ayedh, Bader Tareq, Talal Al-Qaisi, Youssef Nasser, Moaz Al-Oseimie, Salman Al-Awadhi, and Ahmed Al-Zanki. Four players from Qadsia SC—Khaled Ibrahim, Khaled Sabah, Rashid Al-Dosari, and Athbi Shehab—are scheduled to join the training sessions today following their return from Iraq, where they participated in the inaugural round of Group A action in the Gulf Champions League. With the camp designed to provide match sharpness and cohesion, all eyes are now on Sousa’s squad as they seek to gain momentum and unity before the all-important clash with Mauritania. The performance in the upcoming friendlies will be closely scrutinized, as it is expected to inform final tactical decisions ahead of the qualifying showdown in Doha. Team V.DIR-EM-UAE