AFC
Doha: Kuwait and Malaysia will be playing for pride when they face off in their final AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ Group D tie at Al Janoub Stadium on Tuesday.
Both sides were eliminated following defeats to Uzbekistan and Vietnam but are determined to bid farewell to the tournament with a win.
Emilio Peixe is likely to reshuffle his line-up with the head coach desperate to not only ensure his players are fit but also expose those who have had limited game time.
"First we need to recover the players, because it isn’t normal for them to play in such intense games,” said the former Portuguese international.
“That is our priority, then we will see who is available to play in the next match, and try to refresh the team."
Kuwait, who suffered a 3-1 opening defeat to Vietnam before being outplayed 5-0 by Uzbekistan on Saturday, will be still be without midfielder Ebrahim Kameel who was shown a straight red in the first game.
As for Malaysia, back-to-back 2-0 defeats to Uzbekistan and Vietnam meant being unable to match their 2018 record of reaching the knockout stage.
Despite the heartbreak of missing out on the knockout stage for the second successive edition, head coach Juan Torres Garrido wants his players to focus on signing off with a win.
“We are not only here for us but representing the country,” said the Spaniard.
“I don’t expect to do anything special because the players are very motivated to play for the country and we will approach the game against Kuwait like the two games before.”
Kuwait v Malaysia
Venue: Al Janoub Stadium (Al Wakrah)
Kick-off: 18:30 (UTC+3)