Money flowing out of the Gulf region has changed the face of football. Fans in the United Arab Emirates have seen Manchester City become the best team in the world, supporters in Qatar have had the World Cup and counterparts in Saudi Arabia can scarcely believe what is going on with their clubs. Kuwait, another rich Gulf state, has been quiet but may be ready to stir from its sporting slumber.
The country, which became independent from the United Kingdom in 1961, has a rich football history. Trevor Francis, who died this week, scored England’s only goal against Kuwait at the 1982 World Cup when the Blues, making their tournament debut long before their neighbours, arrived in Spain as Asian champions. Kuwait had also reached the quarter-finals of the Moscow Olympics two years previously, when they were beaten 2-1 by the Soviet Union.
