DOHA, Dec 2 (KUNA) -- Kuwait's national football team begins its Arab Cup journey on Tuesday in Qatar with a Group C opener against Egypt at Lusail Stadium, while the tournament runs in Doha until December 18.
Group C also includes Jordan and the UAE. Kuwait enters the match aiming to secure its first three points and build on its strong recent form, having qualified after a 2-0 win over Mauritania in last week's playoffs.
The team prepared with a training camp in Cairo last month, where it beat Tanzania 4-3 and drew 2-2 with Gambia. Kuwait's head coach Helio Sousa said in the pre-match press conference that Kuwait is determined to deliver its best performance against Egypt, expressing confidence in his players' ability to achieve a positive result.
A large turnout of Kuwaiti fans is expected, with six planes allocated to transport supporters to Doha.
Kuwait and Egypt have met twice previously in the Arab Cup: Egypt won 1-0 in the 1992 edition in Syria, while Kuwait won 4-1 in the 1998 edition in Qatar.
Historically, Kuwait is among the most frequent participants in opening matches, having played the tournament's first game in five out of the eight editions it has entered.
The 11th Arab Cup kicked off yesterday at Al Bayt Stadium with the participation of 16 teams. (end) sad.dss