Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium
Shiekh Jaber Stadium Kuwait International Stadium | |
Aerial view of the stadium in January 2019 | |
| Location | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 29°16′17.14″N 47°55′07″E / 29.2714278°N 47.91861°E |
| Owner | Kuwait national football team, Kuwait Football Association |
| Operator | Kuwait national football team |
| Capacity | 60,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2 June 2006 |
| Built | 2006–2010 (4 years) |
| Opened | 10 September 2010 |
| Renovated | 2015 |
| Reopened | 18 December 2015 |
| Construction cost | 120 million Kuwaiti dinar (US$394.6 million) |
| Tenants | |
| Kuwait national team (2010–2011; 2015–present) | |
| Website | |
| https://www.stadjaber.com/ | |
Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium (Arabic: ملعب جابر الأحمد الدولي) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Ardhiyah area of Kuwait City, Kuwait. Completed in 2009, it is used mostly for football matches and athletics. The stadium has a capacity of 60,000 seated spectators, the building is constructed in 4 levels, with 54 corporate boxes and a parking lot with a 6,001-car capacity. It was expected to open in the second quarter of 2010, but the building failed structural-integrity testing and remained closed for nearly half a decade due to a miscalculation by structural engineers. It was finally opened on 18 December 2015. Jaber Al-Ahmad stadium is currently the new home of the Kuwait national football team.[1]
The stadium was named after late Amir of Kuwait Shaikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Kuwait celebrated their winning of the 20th Arabian Gulf Cup in that stadium.
History
First match
Was an International Friendly between Kuwait National Team and Bahrain National Team ended 2-1 win to Bahrain.
| 8 October 2010 | Kuwait | 1 – 2[2] | Bahrain | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| Ahmad Ajab 66' | Ismaeel Latif 9' Fouzi Ayesh 47' Salma Isa 51' |
Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium Attendance: 10,000 |
Second match
| 12 October 2010 | Kuwait | 3 – 1 | Vietnam | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| Ajab 68' Nasser 79', 89' |
Nguyễn Minh Phương 58' | Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium Attendance: 10,000 |
Renovations
In 2010 after the 2010 AFC Cup Final problems started to occur to the stadium which led to closing the stadium in 2011. Renovations started in 2014 and ended in 2015.
Re-opening
The re-opening was announced on 28 November 2015 for the 2015 Kuwait Champions Challenge, where late Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah came to the opening. The match was between Kuwait XI and World Stars XI. The Kuwait XI won with a 4–2 score. LET'S PLAY!, the multimedia opening show (which was performed right before the match), was produced by Laser System Europe and Groupe F. It was written and directed by Rodolph Nasillski[3]
The Kuwait FA at the time were banned by FIFA (starting in October 2015) due to the Kuwaiti Government's interference in sports. With that, FIFA prevented Steven Gerrard, Andrea Pirlo (who both were playing at the MLS), and Xavi (who was playing for Al Sadd SC at the Qatar Stars League) from playing in the match.[4]
23rd Arabian Gulf Cup
the Arabian Gulf Cup returns to Kuwait after 3 years and after the Ban by FIFA has been lifted the AGCFF all decided to switch the host country to Kuwait. Oman were crowned Champions for the 2nd time after beating UAE on penalties in the final.
Group stage
| 22-12-2017 | Kuwait | 1 – 2 | Saudi Arabia | Group A |
| 18:30 |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 59,762 Referee: Ali Abdulnabi (Bahrain) |
| 22-12-2017 | Oman | 0 – 1 | United Arab Emirates | Group A |
| 21:00 | Report | Referee: Ali Sabah (Iraq) |
| 25-12-2017 | Saudi Arabia | 0 – 0 | United Arab Emirates | Group A |
| 17:30 | Report | Attendance: 47,556 Referee: Aziz Asimov (Uzbekistan) |
| 25-12-2017 | Kuwait | 0 – 1 | Oman | Group A |
| 20:00 | Report | Al-Mahaijri 58' (pen.) | Attendance: 58,583 Referee: Saoud Al-Athbah (Qatar) |
| 28-12-2017 | Kuwait | 0 – 0 | United Arab Emirates | Group A |
| 18:30 | Report | Attendance: 24,563 Referee: Ali Sabah (Iraq) |
| 29-12-2017 | Qatar | 1 – 1 | Bahrain | Group B |
| 18:30 | Al-Haydos 45+5' (pen.) | Report | Ali Madan 57' | Attendance: 23,412 Referee: Aziz Asimov (Uzbekistan) |
| 2-1-2018 | Oman | 1 – 0 | Bahrain | Semi-Final |
| 17:15 | M. Al Jabar 29' (o.g.) | Report | Attendance: 19,534 Referee: Hettikamkanamge Perera (Sri Lanka) |
| 2-1-2018 | Iraq | 3 – 0 (a.e.t.) | United Arab Emirates | Semi-Final |
| 20:30 | Report | Attendance: 27,142 Referee: Aziz Asimov (Uzbekistan) |
| 5-1-2018 | Oman | 0 – 0 (a.e.t.) (5 – 4 p) | United Arab Emirates | Final |
| 17:30 | Report | Attendance: 56,344 Referee: Ali Shaban (Kuwait) | ||
| Penalties | ||||
National Team friendlies
| 25-3-2018 | Kuwait | 1 – 3 | Cameroon | |
| 18:30 |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 4,762 Referee: Adel Al Naqbi (United Arab Emirates) |
2022 FIFA World Cup qualification - AFC second round
| 3-6-2021 | Kuwait | 0 – 3 | Australia | |
| 22:00 UTC+3 | Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
Referee: Jumpei Iida (Japan) |
| 11-6-2021 | Kuwait | 0 – 0 | Jordan | |
| 22:00 UTC+3 | Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
Referee: Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain) |
| 15-6-2021 | Kuwait | 2 – 1 | Chinese Taipei | |
| 22:00 UTC+3 |
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman) |
National Team friendlies
| 18 January 2021 Friendly | Kuwait | 0–1 | Palestine | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| 17:45 UTC+3 | Report |
|
Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium Attendance: 12,432 Referee: Ahmed Al-Ali (Kuwait) |
| 29 January 2022 Friendly | Kuwait | 2–0 | Libya | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| 19:30 UTC+3 |
|
Report | Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium Attendance: 4,687 |
| 1 February 2022 Friendly | Kuwait | 0–2 | Libya | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| 17:55 UTC+3 | Report |
|
Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium Attendance: 4,254 |
2022-23
2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification – third round
| 8 June 2022 | Kuwait | 1 – 2 | Indonesia | |
| 19:15 UTC+3 |
|
Report | Attendance: 6,100 Referee: Nasrullo Kabirov (Tajikistan) |
| 8 June 2022 | Jordan | 2 – 0 | Nepal | |
| 22:15 UTC+3 |
|
Report | Attendance: 1,262 Referee: Chae Sang-hyeop (South Korea) |
| 11 June 2022 | Kuwait | 4 – 1 | Nepal | |
| 19:15 UTC+3 |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 10,360 Referee: Pranjal Banerjee (India) |
| 11 June 2022 | Jordan | 1 – 0 | Indonesia | |
| 22:15 UTC+3 |
|
Report | Attendance: 2,410 Referee: Yaqoob Abdul Baki (Oman) |
| 14 June 2022 | Kuwait | 0 – 3 | Jordan | |
| 19:15 UTC+3 | Report |
|
Attendance: 18,170 Referee: Mohd Amirul Izwan Yaacob (Malaysia) |
| 14 June 2022 | Indonesia | 7 - 0 | Nepal | |
| 22:15 UTC+3 | Report | Attendance: 3,145 Referee: Hussein Abo Yehia (Lebanon) |
National Team friendlies
| 24 March 2023 Friendly | Kuwait | 2–0 | Philippines | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| 22:00 UTC+3 |
|
Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium Attendance: 8,724 Referee: Shukri Al-Hunfoush (Saudi Arabia) |
| 28 March 2023 Friendly | Kuwait | 2–1 | Tajikistan | Kuwait City, Kuwait |
| --:-- UTC+3 | Bader Al Fadhel 9' Al-Khaldi 61' |
A.Dzhalilov 90' | Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium Attendance: 5,276 Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman) |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC second round
| 16 November 2023 | Kuwait | 0 – 1 | India | |
| 19:30 UTC+3 | Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Attendance: 32,786 Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia) |
| 21 November 2023 | Palestine | 0 – 1 | Australia | |
| 19:30 UTC+3 | Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Attendance: 14,537 Referee: Qasim Matar Al-Hatmi (Oman) |
| 21 March 2024 | Palestine | 5 – 0 | Bangladesh | |
| 19:30 UTC+3 | Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
Attendance: 37,432 Referee: Yinhao Shen (China) |
2024-25
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC third round
| 10 September 2024 | Kuwait | 0 – 0 | Iraq | |
| 21:00 UTC+3 | Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
Attendance: 58,000 Referee: Hiroyuki Kimura (Japan) |
| 14 November 2024 | Kuwait | 1 – 3 | South Korea | |
| 17:00 UTC+3 |
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Attendance: 22,791 Referee: Shaun Evans (Australia) |
| 19 November 2024 | Kuwait | 1 – 1 | Jordan | |
| 21:15 UTC+3 |
|
Report (FIFA) Report (AFC) |
|
Attendance: 22,752 Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (Malaysia) |
26th Arabian Gulf Cup
| 21 December 2024 | Kuwait | 1 – 1 | Oman | |
| 20:00 UTC+3 |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 42,445 Referee: Khalid Al-Turais (Saudi Arabia) |
| 22 December 2024 | Saudi Arabia | 2 – 3 | Bahrain | |
| 20:30 UTC+3 | Report |
|
Attendance: 7,726 Referee: Ahmad Al-Ali (Kuwait) |
| 24 December 2024 | Kuwait | 2 – 1 | United Arab Emirates | |
| 20:30 UTC+3 |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 48,621 Referee: Dahane Beida (Mauritania) |
| 25 December 2024 | Bahrain | 2 – 0 | Iraq | |
| 20:30 UTC+3 |
|
Report | Attendance: 13,150 Referee: Halil Umut Meler (Turkey) |
| 27 December 2024 | Kuwait | 1 – 1 | Qatar | |
| 17:30 UTC+3 | Daham 74' | Report | Muntari 90+11' | Attendance: 57,742 Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria) |
| 28 December 2024 | Saudi Arabia | 3 – 1 | Iraq | |
| 17:30 UTC+3 |
|
Report | Ali 64' | Attendance: 54,942 Referee: István Kovács (Romania) |
| 31 December 2024 | Kuwait | 0 – 1 | Bahrain | |
| 20:45 UTC+3 | Report |
|
Attendance: 60,122 Referee: István Kovács (Romania) |
| 4 January 2025 | Oman | 1 – 2 | Bahrain | |
| 19:30 UTC+3 | Al-Mushaifri 17' | Report |
|
Attendance: 57,674 Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar) |
Statistics
Most appearances & wins
- As of 1 January 2025
| Country | Appearances | Wins | Draws | Loses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuwait | 21 |
4 | 7 | 10 |
| Oman | 6 |
3 | 1 | 2 |
| United Arab Emirates | 6 |
2 | 2 | 2 |
| Saudi Arabia | 4 |
2 | 1 | 1 |
| Cameroon | 1 |
1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bahrain | 7 |
5 | 1 | 1 |
| Qatar | 2 |
0 | 2 | 0 |
| Egypt | 1 |
0 | 1 | 0 |
| Indonesia | 3 |
2 | 0 | 1 |
| Iraq | 4 |
0 | 1 | 3 |
| Jordan | 5
|
3 | 2 | 0 |
| Australia | 1
|
2 | 0 | 0 |
| Palestine | 2
|
1 | 0 | 1 |
| Nepal | 3
|
0 | 0 | 3 |
| South Korea | 1
|
1 | 0 | 0 |
| Chinese Taipei | 1
|
0 | 0 | 1 |
| Vietnam | 1 |
0 | 0 | 1 |
| India | 1
|
1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | 1
|
0 | 0 | 1 |
Goals
- Number of goals scored in the stadium: 162
- Scored in First Half: 63
- Scored in Second Half: 99
- Scored at Extra Time: 0
Records
Most team played in the stadium: Kuwait National Football Team 21 times
Highest scoring Match: 7 Goals Indonesia National Football Team 7-0 Nepal National Football Team
Most team winning in the stadium: Bahrain National Football Team 5 times
Most team losing: Kuwait National Football Team 10 times
First goal in the stadium: Ismail Abdul-Latif
First red card: Hussain Ali Baba
See also
References
- ^ "World Stadiums - Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
- ^ Jude
- ^ "LET'S PLAY! - The Pictures". Archived from the original on 12 March 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ "FIFA stops Gerrard, Pirlo from playing game in banned Kuwait". Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2016.