FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Uttiyo Sarkar
The Indian football team will be back in action when they host Kuwait in a key 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on June 6. The Kuwait side will be gunning for revenge against the Blue Tigers after having lost the earlier World Cup qualifier at their home last year.
Kuwait might be ranked below India in the FIFA rankings, but they do have a lot of quality to surprise teams in away games. They did, of course, thrash Afghanistan 4-0 in their away trip last year and that is a major reason why they can’t be taken lightly at all. Kuwait probably have a few secrets up their sleeve to surprise the Blue Tigers and there are some interesting elements about them that Indian football fans might not be aware of. Hence, here we look at the top three unknown things about the Kuwait football team.
Kuwait have named a squad for the upcoming qualifiers which comprise players all playing in their national league. They have a decent amount of experience inside their squad with a number of players in their 30s. With that being said, there are only two players selected in their current squad who have played outside Kuwait in their professional career. That includes captain Fahad Al-Hajeri, who has the experience of playing in the Saudi Pro League in the past. Indeed, Hajeri had a little loan spell at Al-Ettifaq, which is currently managed by Steven Gerard.
Fajeri spent the 2017/18 season with Al-Ettifaq, making six appearances. Alongside him, experienced midfielder Sultan Al-Enezi has also played outside Kuwait. He spent a few years in Qatar, playing for the likes of Al-Khor and Al-Wakra. Veteran forward Yousef Nasser too, has experience of playing outside Kuwait, having played for Oman club Al-Nahda in the 2017/18 season. These players will play a key role in the upcoming game against India, especially when it comes to helping the Blue Wave neutralize India’s attacking prowess – while Nasser looks to provide the goods in the attacking front.
Portuguese coach Rui Bento has been the Kuwait national team’s manager since 2022. He has an extensive coaching experience, having also managed the Portugal U-17 and U-19 teams in the past. But Bento actually also enjoyed a pretty memorable career as a footballer himself. He spent his entire career playing in Portugal for the likes of Benfica, Boavista and Sporting CP.
Bento spent nine years at Boavista, but towards the end of his career, he was able to rub shoulders with Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo. Indeed, when Ronaldo made his breakthrough to the senior team in 2002, Bento was a reliable member of the squad. He got to play with the young upstart winger just before he made the jump to Manchester United in 2003. Bento himself hung up his boots and retired in 2004, after which he immediately started his coaching career.
Since he made his debut for Kuwait, Yousef Nasser has been a reliable goal-scorer for his side. He has been an evergreen member of the squad over the last 15 years, marking 106 appearances and participating in multiple World Cup Qualifiers as part of the team. He has been selected in the squad for the India game, despite missing the last few qualifiers. That could be the cause of his sheer experience and excellent eye for scoring goals.
He has scored 49 goals for Kuwait, making him the fourth-highest goal-scorer in the national team’s history. He is also the highest active goal-scorer in the Kuwait squad and has been an efficient part of the team over the last decade. While it remains to be seen if Nasser starts the match or not, he can definitely be a valuable option for Bento’s forward line because of his brilliant goal-scoring tendency and a potential thorn for the Indian backline.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
