CAIRO: Egypt will prepare for their World Cup showdown with Saudi Arabia by playing Kuwait in a friendly. Egypt team manager Ihab Leheta said the national team will play at Kuwait at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium on May 26 in a game they hope will give them a taste of the style played by Saudi Arabia, another Gulf Arab nation. Egypt and Saudi Arabia will meet in Russia on June 25 in a Group A match that could decide who progresses to the round of 16. They last met in 2005 when Egypt won a friendly 1-0. Egypt, who have qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, will also play friendlies against Colombia, European champion Portugal, Greece and Belgium. The squad, led by Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, travels to Russia on June 10. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, will play at least five more friendlies before their World Cup opener against Russia. They have beaten Moldova and lost to Iraq in their first two games under Juan Antonio Pizzi, but have games against Ukraine, Belgium, Italy, Peru and Germany to come.
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