Despite collecting only one point from their two matches so far, Kuwait have shown plenty of determination at the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025™.
They came close to victory over Egypt in their opener and might have taken all three points were it not for a late penalty, and they nearly forced a draw with Jordan. However, Kuwait were unable to capitalise on their chances before Jordan converted a penalty to score their third and secure the win.
Small errors in crucial moments have left Kuwait in an difficult position ahead of their final group-stage match in Qatar. They now need to win against United Arab Emirates and hope that Egypt do not overcome Jordan in the other Group C match. Nevertheless, Moaath Al Dhafiri is adamant that his side will not give up.
“The UAE have a strong and powerful team, but we’re looking to deliver a strong performance and get a good result in every match we play,” Al Dhafiri said. “We’ll go out there to win and to advance to the knockout stages. The Kuwaiti fans are always behind us and we want to make them happy.”
Al Dhafiri also pointed to the factors Kuwait are relying on at Qatar 2025, having come close to adding to their points tally.
“When the team is disciplined and following the coach’s instructions tactically, it shows we’re solid and playing as one unit. We always try to stay committed to what the coach asks of us, and we want to get better from one match to the next.
“Our goal was to secure victory [against Jordan], earn all three points, and make the Kuwaiti fans happy, but our first half let us down. We tried to turn things around in the second and get back into the match. We pushed forward and tried hard, but we weren’t able to turn things around.”
In the match against Jordan, the Blue Wave were on the back foot for most of the match. It was not until experienced forward Nasser came on in the 77th minute that Kuwait were able to get themselves back in the game. Nasser found the back of the net with a precise header in the 84th minute and came close to scoring again soon after, making Kuwait the stronger side in the dying minutes of the game.
Despite Nasser’s considerable impact in changing the rhythm of the game, Al Dhafiri emphasised the importance of collective effort over individual play, stating, “Youssef Nasser is a great player and he gets us goals, but all the players on the team are important. We have Shabib (Al Khalidi) and Youssef, both of whom we need as goalscorers. Both are influential forwards in our lineup and are valuable members of the squad.”
When Kuwait face off against the UAE at Stadium 974 on Tuesday at 17:30 local time, their Group C counterparts will take to the field at the same time at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, leaving Kuwait’s fate hanging fully in the balance.
