Al-Arabi completes Amir Cup semifinal lineup
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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
21 minutes ago
- Kuwait Times
Sub sinks Morocco as Nigeria are crowned African football queens
Nigeria pulled off a record-extending 10th title in 13 editions RABAT: Substitute Jennifer Echegini scored the 88th-minute winner as Nigeria came from two goals behind to beat hosts Morocco 3-2 on Saturday in a dramatic Women's Africa Cup of Nations final. The triumph in Rabat confirmed the west Africans as the queens of women's football in Africa as they pulled off a record-extending 10th title in 13 editions. It was the second successive final loss for Morocco, who led by two goals after 24 minutes only to concede three in the second half. Esther Okoronkwo played a key role in the Super Falcons victory—scoring the first goal, creating the second and delivering the free-kick that Echegini finished to stun the home crowd. Morocco, backed by a vibrant capacity crowd at the 21,000-seat Stade Olympique in the capital, took the lead on 12 minutes as Nigeria conceded for the first time in open play at the tournament. Nigeria fluffed several chances to clear the ball and it fell just outside the area to Chebbak, whose perfectly placed, rising shot gave goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie no chance. The lead doubled 12 minutes later as the ball flew across the Nigerian goalmouth to Sanaa Mssoudy, who ended a five-match goal drought by steering a low shot into the far corner of the net. Nigeria had more possession in the opening half than the host nation, but managed only one shot on target and it did not trouble goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi. Lifted spirits But the Moroccan lead halved after 64 minutes as Okoronkwo sent Er-Rmichi the wrong way from a penalty after a VAR review showed a Folashade Ijamilusi cross striking a hand of Nouhaila Benzina. The goal lifted the spirits of increasingly assertive Nigeria and they equalised seven minutes later when Okoronkwo turned creator with a pull-back that Ijamilusi pushed into the net from close range. On Friday, Ghana finished third, winning a penalty shootout 4-3 against outgoing champions South Africa after a 1-1 play-off draw in regular time in Casablanca. After two weakly struck spot kicks in a row by South Africa were saved to give Ghana the advantage, 19-year-old Nancy Amoh converted the decisive penalty with a low shot into the corner of the net. A blunder by Ghana goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan gifted South Africa the lead on 45 minutes as she lost control of the ball just outside the box and Nonhlanhla Mthandi struck it into the net. Persistent Ghanaian pressure finally paid off on 68 minutes when an Alice Kusi header came off the crossbar and long-serving South Africa shot-stopper Andile Dlamini conceded an own goal. Victory was particularly sweet for the Black Queens as they were outplayed when losing 2-0 to Banyana Banyana (The Girls) in the group stage. Ghana have won the four third place play-offs they qualified for while South Africa have lost four of five bronze medals matches. The next Wafcon is scheduled for March 2026, also in Morocco, and will double as a qualifying competition for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. — AFP
Arab Times
10 hours ago
- Arab Times
Al-Arabi lines up UAE friendlies ahead of crucial AFC clash
KUWAIT CITY, July 27: Al-Arabi is scheduled to play two friendly matches against UAE sides Hatta and Baniyas on July 31 and August 6, respectively, as part of its training camp in Abu Dhabi, which runs until August 8. The club is ramping up preparations for a crucial AFC Challenge Cup playoff match against Maldives' Maziya Sports on August 12. The game, which will determine a spot in the group stage, is set to take place at the Maldives National Football Stadium at 3:00 p.m. local time. Meanwhile, reports from Iraqi media suggest that Baghdad-based powerhouse Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (Air Force Club) has shown serious interest in signing Al-Arabi and Kuwait national team player Bandar Al-Salamah. An initial inquiry has been made, and the club has reportedly set a condition for preliminary approval before engaging in formal negotiations. If the deal materializes, Al-Salamah would become the first Kuwaiti footballer in the history of the Iraqi Premier League. Currently, Al-Salamah is absent from Al-Arabi's training camp as he continues a rehabilitation and treatment program in Dubai following a successful knee-cleaning procedure and protective support installation performed earlier this month in Kuwait. If the transfer goes through, Al-Salamah will be the second player to leave Al-Arabi this season, after defender Hassan Hamdan joined Jordanian club Al-Ahli earlier in July. Al-Arabi's Portuguese head coach Marco Alves has intensified training in anticipation of the Maziya match. Players recently completed morning workouts at the camp's fitness center, followed by evening sessions on the field. Kuwait Club continues its daily training under Montenegrin coach Nebojsa Jovovic in preparation for the 2024-25 Zain Premier League season, which kicks off on September 12. The team will soon depart for a 20-day training camp in Prague, Czech Republic, which will include four friendly matches. In the domestic transfer market, Qadsia and Kuwait national team defender Yousef Al-Haqqan is reportedly close to joining Salmiya for the upcoming season. Salmiya's training sessions have already seen the arrival of new Jordanian signing Hossam Abu Dhahab. In a related development, former Salmiya head coach Ante Miša bid farewell to players before the start of a recent training session.
Arab Times
a day ago
- Arab Times
Kuwait volleyball team ends West Asia campaign in fifth place
MANAMA, July 26: Kuwait's national volleyball team wrapped up its campaign at the inaugural West Asia Championship by securing fifth place, following a commanding 3-0 win over the UAE in the fifth-place playoff match. The sets ended 25-17, 30-28, and 25-17 in favor of Al-Azraq. In another placement match, Jordan defeated Lebanon 3-0 to take seventh place. Kuwait had a challenging start to the tournament, opening with a 0-3 loss to Oman — a result that had a lasting impact on its progression. Despite bouncing back with a 3-2 victory over Saudi Arabia and a close 2-3 loss to Qatar, Kuwait finished fourth in Group B. This set up a quarterfinal clash with Group A winner Bahrain, which ended in a 0-3 defeat. However, Al-Azraq responded strongly in the classification stage, defeating both Jordan and the UAE to claim fifth place overall. Player Abdulnasser Al-Enezi expressed mixed feelings after the final match. While pleased with the team's win over the UAE, he voiced disappointment at missing out on the semifinals. 'Fifth place wasn't our ambition — we were aiming for a spot in the final four,' he said. 'Arriving just one day before the start of the tournament affected our performance against Oman, and that impacted our path in the competition.' Al-Enezi added that the team includes several promising young players and stressed the importance of continued support and development to help them reach their full potential.
