World Cup
Qatar’s closest neighbours don’t have much to go and may only have a short stay in the tournament.
Saudi Arabia is no stranger to the World Cup, having played tournaments ahead of Qatar 2022.
The Green Falcons will look to reflect their most productive result and advance to the knockout stages, as they did in 1994. And they will have a lot because they play very close to home and in a country with which they share a border.
After dominating regional football and winning the Asian Cup twice in the 80s, Saudi Arabia nevertheless qualified for its first World Cup in 1994 with an all-star team. Led by legendary striker Majed Abdullah, the team included players such as Said al-Owairan, Sami al-Jaber, Fahad al-Bishi and record goalkeeper Mohamed al-Deayea.
After squandering their first match against the Netherlands despite a great performance, Saudi Arabia took on Morocco hard and sealed their first problems at the World Cup with a 2-1 victory. His last match came and his chance to qualify for the knockout stages. against Belgium, who had yet to concede a goal or lose an attack in the 1994 tournament.
Five minutes into the match, al-Owairan scored arguably the most outstanding goal in Saudi Arabia’s history. The attacking midfielder started his career well in his own part of the pitch and five Belgians on the way to the goal, where he coldly passed the goalkeeper to write. His call in the history books.
The Saudis held on for the next 85 minutes and reached the knockout stages complex.
Once out of the organizing stages, they met the hardline Swedes who temporarily took the lead and did not allow the Saudis to advance. Sweden won 3-1 but the Saudis won the hearts of the fans at home and those who had been at the Cotton. Bowling stadium in Texas.
Their golden streak continued as they qualified for the next 3 World Cups, with a new generation of players, but they may only reflect their functionality from 1994 and won a few matches. The 2002 tournament brought the ignominy of their biggest World Cup defeat, 8-0 in the hands of Germany.
The Green Falcons suffered common training adjustments in the 2010s and failed to qualify for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. They eventually qualified for the 2018 tournament and, although they failed to progress, secured a 2-1 victory over their Egyptian neighbours.
The existing generation of Saudi players is young, with an average age of just 23.
French coach Hervé Renard, who led Zambia and Ivory Coast to African Cup of Nations titles in 2012 and 2015 respectively, overtook Saudi Arabia in 2019 and oversaw their qualification for this World Cup.
The Frenchman has combined things in the squad since taking over and has introduced several new faces selected from the U23Array with Firas al-Buraikan making his senior debut at the age of 19.
Al-Buraikan has already scored 11 goals and now has a permanent component of the Saudi attack, with promising runs down the flanks in keeping with coach Renard’s attacking wing game plan in his favourite 4-3-2-1 formation.
Meanwhile, captain Salman al-Faraj is key to the Saudi midfield. Whether it’s helping the attack with his exact passes or controlling the opponent’s attacks, al-Faraj hopes his leadership can pay off.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently met with the team and told them not to worry about the effects and the tournament.
“I don’t need any of you to be under mental strain from your spontaneous performance,” he told the players.
However, Green Falcons enthusiasts still have high hopes.
They will be the third-largest contingent of enthusiasts at the World Cup, according to ticket sales figures, and are expected to flood Qatar by the thousands.
While a first-round exit is an expected outcome, her enthusiasts are unlikely to settle for her as warmly as her crown prince.