Kuwait's national football team held their final training session at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Wednesday evening, completing preparations for Thursday's high-stakes FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifier against India — a Group A fixture that doubles as a 2027 AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia qualifier.
Kuwait Wrap Up Bangkok Camp Ahead of India Clash
The Blue and Whites closed out a week-long training camp in Bangkok, Thailand under Portuguese head coach Rui Bento, who used the sessions to run rotation games and experiment with different tactical setups. The goal, according to the team, was to draw the best possible performance out of every player and set the squad up for a positive result in Kolkata.
Bento selected 26 players for the national team roster. Named players include Mohamed Dahham, Faisal Zayed, Youssef Nasser, and Salman Buramiya, among others.
One notable absentee is Salman Al-Awadi, who was dropped from the squad after receiving a red card during the recent Asian Cup finals in Qatar. He has been replaced by Moaz Al-Asmaa.
Group A Standings Make the Match Critical
Going into the fifth round of qualifying, Qatar sits top of Group A with 12 points and has already secured their place in the deciding stage of both the World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup. Behind them, Kuwait, India, and Afghanistan are locked together on 3 points each, making Thursday's fixture a pivotal encounter for the three sides still fighting for the second qualification spot.
Delegation Confident, Thanks Kuwaiti Ambassador
A member of the Kuwait Football Association Board of Directors and head of the national team delegation to Bangkok confirmed that all camp activities ran on schedule. Al-Otaibi said players are fully motivated to deliver a strong result and meet the expectations of Kuwait fans worldwide.
He also extended thanks to Kuwait's Ambassador in Thailand, Muhammad Al-Failakawi, for his personal support in organizing the team's activities during the Bangkok camp and for attending training sessions to observe preparations firsthand.
