Alkass Digital
Kuwait are determined to revive their knockout stage hopes when they face Uzbekistan in their AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ Group D tie on Saturday.
Having suffered a 3-1 defeat to Vietnam, head coach Emilio Peixe’s Kuwait side must earn maximum points at the Al Janoub Stadium for a shot at a top two finish in the group.
Having picked up valuable lessons from their opening tie, Peixe emphasised the need to modify their playing style when going up against more experienced teams.
“There are a lot of things that we tell the players, we need to try and play a different game,” said Peixe. “We need to keep the ball and not push forward all the time. We still have two more chances to compete with two great teams, and we need to focus on doing that.”
A second setback from Wednesday's defeat was the red card to midfielder Ebraheem Kameel, however, Peixe remains hopeful that Kuwait can overcome his absence.
“Recovery is important. The message to the players is that we have a chance when playing against teams like Vietnam, Uzbekistan and Malaysia. Of course we have a dream to move forward and we need to look at this with a positive mindset.”
Uzbekistan, meanwhile, are coming off an impressive 2-0 victory over Malaysia, and head coach Timur Kapadze is focused on keeping their winning momentum, planning on player rotations to maintain peak physical condition.
“Our plan is to make full use of the 23 players we have in the squad,” said Kapadze. “For sure in a tournament like this, we have to look at how we can ensure the team is in optimum condition physically.
“We will see where we can rotate to give playing minutes to fresh players but not just for the sake of changing, our standard will have to remain and ensure that we get the win.”
Kuwait v Uzbekistan
Venue: Al Janoub Stadium (Al Wakrah)
Kick-off: Friday, 18:30 (UTC+3)