AFC Challenge League 2026-27 Rival Watch: Al-Qadsia SC

FC Goa are still alive in the continental stage

FC Goa are looking to fight their way to booking a place in the knockout rounds of the 2026-27 AFC Challenge League when they face Al-Qadsia SC in their final group-stage match. It’s a match which the Gaurs need to win to be able to have a strong chance of making it into the quarterfinals and further enhancing the reputation of Indian football.

However, in the form of Al-Qadsia, they face an in-form and really formidable opponent. The Kuwaiti giants are playing the group stage matches with home-field advantage and have won both their matches so far.

They have a rich history to be proud of and a reliable unit capable of causing a lot of trouble for the Gaurs. Here, we look into more about Al-Qadsia before the game against FC Goa.

About the Team

Al-Qadsia are actually one of the oldest football clubs in Kuwait, having been formed all the way back in 1953 – initially as Al-Jazira. They were renamed Al-Qadsia SC in 1960, and have been able to keep that name ever since. The first time that Al-Qadsia won the Kuwaiti Premier League title was in the 1968-69 season, and it was in that decade that they created a fierce rivalry with Al-Arabi as well.

Al-Qadsia have maintained their stance as one of the most decorated football clubs in the Kuwaiti football scene. They have won the Kuwait Premier League title on 17 occasions, even though their last title win was back in the 2015-16 campaign.

The Yellow Castle have also won the Kuwait Emir Cup on 17 occasions, the most for any team in the country – as well as winning the Kuwait Crown Prince Cup on nine occasions and the Kuwait Super Cup seven times.

Al-Qadsia also boasts an impressive history of playing in continental competitions. They were able to win the AFC Cup in 2014, and they’ve also won the GCC Champions League twice. Al-Qadsia have played twice in the AFC Champions League in the past, even reaching the semifinals in 2006.

They finished as the runners-up of the AFC Cup on two occasions in their eight appearances in the competition, and their participation in the 2026-27 AFC Challenge League marks their return to continental football after a six-year gap.

Head Coach

Mohammed Ebrahim Hajeyah is a person who has a long-standing bond with Al-Qadsia. He featured as a player for them from 1980 to 1995, playing for the club for 15 years before his retirement. Hajeyah has since gone on to manage Al-Qadsia on seven different occasions, which includes his current stint with them as well.

The 64-year-old boss has guided the Yellow Castle to win six Kuwait Premier League titles under him, as well as helping them win the Emir Cup four times. He took over Al-Qadsia at the beginning of the 2026-27 season and is determined to help them perform strongly in the AFC Challenge League and potentially even win the title.

Hajeyah has gotten the Yellow Castle playing some entertaining attacking football under him. They began their 2026-27 AFC Challenge League group stages with a thrilling 3-0 win over Fortis FC. He seems to be preferring an attacking 4-3-3 formation for Al-Qadsia so that they can play more fluid, attack-minded football in the continental competition.

Under Hajeyah, Al-Qadsia appear to be focused on creating quick, well-linked moves by passing the ball forward quickly and getting many players into the final third. They like to create their chances through the wide areas, allowing their tricky wingers to trouble the backline.

Their striker Hamza Khabba is also versatile enough in not only being able to finish off chances, but also create them impressively by dropping into empty pockets to service those around him. Al-Qadsia will be intent on maintaining their attacking heroics, as Hajeyah will urge them to take the fight to FC Goa

Players to Watchout

Hamza Khabba

Hamza Khabba has been in impressive form for Al-Qadsia since joining them in the 2026 summer window, as he made quite an impact by getting three goal involvements in their first group stage match as well. The 30-year-old might’ve had a shaky 2025-26 season at FAR Rabat, but he has a solid reputation for being able to thrive in Kuwait – having scored 36 goals in 13 games for Al-Arabi in the past.

Khabba can be a really proactive forward, capable of being a real thorn for the defenders. The 30-year-old is an energetic figure who likes to move around the final third to confuse opposition players into losing their sense of positioning.

Khabba will look to be a thorn for the FC Goa defenders with his clever off-the-ball runs, but he’ll need to be at his clinical best in finishing off chances to be able to earn a big win.

Nasser Al-Rawahi

Nasser Al-Rawahi also only joined Al-Qadsia before the beginning of the 2026-27 AFC Challenge League campaign, and he is determined to make a positive impact for them this season.

The 25-year-old winger was able to be a thorn in the side of the opposition players in the recent clash against Fortis FC, and he’ll be eager to cause similar trouble for the FC Goa players as well.

The Omani winger used to play for Al-Seeb before joining the Kuwaiti giants, and he is quite eager to make a bigger impact for Al-Qadsia. Al-Rawahi is quite versatile enough in being able to play across both the wide areas and also switch positions with his teammates to bring a sense of surprise for his club.

He’ll look to make good use of his surprise change of pace to trouble the FC Goa defenders and get himself into the prime areas. The 25-year-old will, of course, need to be more decisive with his final passes and shooting prowess to be able to help them get a big win over the Gaurs.

What to Expect

Al-Qadsia are quite determined to win their group in the AFC Challenge League, and that is why they’ll definitely look to cause trouble for FC Goa in this upcoming clash. The Yellow Castle have started to play some impressive attacking football under Mohammed Hajeyah, and he’ll look to keep that positive momentum going against the Indian Super League (ISL) side.

The Kuwaiti giants will, of course, be respectful of the kind of threat that the Gaurs’ frontline can pose to them.

But they will be aiming to dominate the majority of possession, be energetic enough to win the ball in key areas in the midfield and also try to create big chances on a regular basis through their quick attacking build-up play.

Al-Qadsia have a decent amount of momentum behind them, and look to utilise their confidence and home-field advantage to produce a thrilling performance in front of their fans.

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