Kuwait Club players took to the training ground before the crucial clash.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 18: Kuwait Club will take on Al Shabab of Oman today at 12:00 noon at the Dolon Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in the quarter-finals of the AFC Challenge League.
In the other quarterfinal, Lebanon’s Al Ansar will face Kyrgyzstan’s Muras United at 6:00 pm at the same venue, with both winners advancing to the semi-finals next Wednesday.
The Kuwait Club concluded its preparations with a training camp in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, where it played two friendlies: beating Al Taraji 6-1 before drawing 1-1 with Al Fateh.
Despite being without Sami Al Sanea, Fahd Hamoud and Ahmed Al Zanki, coach Nebojša Jovović has a strong squad to compensate. The team’s foreign contingent includes Yassine Al Khennissi, Mohammed Marhoon, Arsène Zola, Mehdi Barahma and Idrissa Doumbia.
Kuwait Club has key players such as Ahmed Al Dhafiri, Fahd Al Hajri, Saud Al Houshan, Khaled Al Rashidi, Yousef Nasser, Mohammed Daham, Reda Hani, Amr Abdul Fattah, Ali Hussein and Faisal Zaid.
Kuwait Club advanced to the quarter-finals after topping Group B with seven points, defeating Al Ansar 3-2, drawing 1-1 with Al Seeb and beating Bashundhara Kings 2-0.
Domestically, the team sit comfortably at the top of the league table, 12 points clear, but the long break in domestic action since March has raised concerns about the sharpness of matches despite their strong continental pedigree as three-time AFC Cup winners.
Meanwhile, Al Shabab come into the match with a lot of confidence after topping Group A with a perfect record, winning all three matches and positioning themselves as a strong contender for their first continental title.
By Hassan Mosa
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff
