ABHA (Saudi Arabia) – CR Belouizdad was held to a 1-1 draw by Kuwait SC in a match played on Thursday at the Damac Stadium, in the third and final round (Group D) of the King Salman Clubs Cup football tournament, taking place in Saudi Arabia (July 27 – August 12).
The “Chabab” team opened the scoring in the 6th minute with an excellent solo effort from Mohamed Islam Belkheir on the left side (6th). However, the Kuwaiti team equalized late in the match with a penalty converted by Tunisian Taha Yacine Khenissi (87th).
The Algerian club finished the game with ten men after midfielder Akram Bouras was sent off in stoppage time (90+2).
As the four-time Algerian champions, CR Belouizdad was eliminated after the second round, having suffered two consecutive defeats against Raja Casablanca and Al-Wehda from the United Arab Emirates, both with the same score of 2-1. They failed to secure their participation with at least one victory.
In the other match of Group A, Raja Casablanca won against Al-Wehda (1-0) and finished as the group leader with 9 points, ahead of their opponents of the day (6 pts).
The King Salman Clubs Cup football tournament is being played in three cities: Abha, Baha, and Taif, with the participation of 16 clubs divided into four groups of four. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals scheduled for Saturday, August 5, and Sunday, August 6, 2023. The semi-finals will be held on Wednesday, August 9, in Abha and Taif, while the final will take place on Saturday, August 12, in a yet-to-be-designated stadium.
The Arab Union of Football Associations (UAFA) had announced the launch of this new club competition, the King Salman Clubs Cup, with a total prize money of 10 million dollars, with 6 million dollars going to the ultimate winner.
The King Salman Clubs Cup is a historical continuation of the Arab clubs’ competition that was launched in 1982, and its name has changed over the years, including the Arab Champions League, the Arab Cup Winners’ Cup, the Arab Union Cup, the Emir Faisal Bin Fahd Cup, and the Zayed Champions Cup.