With Russia's World Cup dominating Saudi Arabia's agenda, it is only natural that the Gulf Cup should come second. Coach Antonio Pizzi not only refused to go to Kuwait, but asked the federation to send the Olympic team in order to fulfill the obligation. The federation, however, did not do him the favor (since the playing obligations of the juniors start next month) with the "substitute" coach Djuricic finally inviting a mix of experienced and young players.
It is clearly not the first team we will see in the World Cup, but in no case can we underestimate it to the extent that the odds do. We are talking about very capable players who simply "get lost" under the shadow of some better, but also about talents who thirst for distinction. It is also the language used by the Kuwaitis to say that "the Saudis are coming with the second ones so that they do not resent in view of the World Cup", with the "Greens" promising a "response on the field"!
Kuwait is playing at home, it is the omnipotent of the institution (ten conquests against three of the second), but the 2009 batch did not continue as some have turned thirty (Mutawa, Enezi) or retired (Yusuf Nasser). The big competition gap also arose due to the two-year exclusion of FIFA, which dropped the team to 189th position in FIFA (Samoa and Cook Island will pass us soon!) So the optimism that has been cultivated internally is not so well-founded. Contrary to estimates, I believe that, even with the "second" Saudi Arabia is able to get a positive result.