Following the disappointment of the opening round: Sousa maps out Kuwait's path to overcoming Iraq
Correcting mistakes first
Kuwait face a difficult test against Iraq as they chase their first win at the Arabian Gulf Cup "Gulf 27". They are desperate to put right the mistakes of the last round and regain their balance before this anticipated encounter.
Kuwait coach Helio Sousa admits the clash with Iraq is a major challenge. The Portuguese insists his staff are sharpening the physical and technical aspects and ironing out the errors that surfaced in the previous match, all in the hunt for three points.
"Tomorrow's match will be a challenge for us, and the last 30 minutes of our previous match were difficult, so we must play with strength and enthusiasm," Sousa said at his pre-match press conference. "We are working hard to improve our level, and we hope to achieve victory and apply our ideas in the required manner."
He was frank about the pressure. "Pressure is always present, whether we face strong teams or otherwise, and it is present in training and matches. We are working to achieve victory, strengthen our capabilities and improve our performance to reach the desired goal."
On the crowd, the coach said: "It is wonderful to have a large crowd supporting us, and the Iraqi crowd will certainly attend to support their team, but we will work to give the best of what we have."
Sousa knows exactly what lies in wait. "We are working to raise our level physically and technically, especially as the Iraq national team includes players active abroad, and therefore we are aware of the scale of the challenge awaiting us."
Kuwait player Nasser Faleh, for his part, insists his side are ready. He says the players want to correct the errors of the previous match and land that elusive first win of the tournament.
"Our preparation is good for the match against Iraq, and we are working to correct the mistakes and prepare ourselves in the required manner, and we are seeking to secure the three points," Faleh told the press conference.
He signed off with a promise. "It is natural for us as players to face pressures, and we delivered the required level in the previous match, but we did not succeed in achieving the result, and we will work to make the Kuwaiti fans happy."
Under the tournament regulations, the top two in each group reach the semi-finals. The first group's leader meets the runner-up of the second group, while the leader of the second group faces the runner-up of the first.
Both semi-final winners then advance to the final on 6 October 2026, where the champion of the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup will be crowned.
