“It was a successful training camp,” said Yasser Al-Misehal, the head of the Saudi Arabia Football Federation on Thursday as the national team returned to Riyadh for a well-earned breather before plunging back into preparation for the World Cup.
Just how successful they will be remains to be seen when the tournament has been and gone. If the Green Falcons put on a good show in a tough group containing Argentina, Poland and Mexico, then all will point to the last few weeks in Abu Dhabi as a valuable part of the preparation for a sixth World Cup and an attempt to get into the knockout stage for the second time.
On the face of it, however, it did go well. At the basic level, there were no scandals or controversies that can happen when players get together before the World Cup, such as Roy Keane walking out of Ireland’s pre-2002 training camp. It was all nicely low-key. In the three weeks spent in the UAE, Saudi Arabia played five games against international opposition that provided, perhaps, a small European taste of Poland and Central American experiences that may help with Mexico. It started with a 1-0 draw with North Macedonia, then there was a 1-1 draw against Albania and a goalless stalemate with Honduras. It came to a close with a 1-0 victory over Iceland and a 1-1 tie with Panama on Thursday.
So, no defeats and, indeed, with the goalless draws against Ecuador and the US in September, that unbeaten run has stretched to seven games. The opposition may not have always been at full strength as most leagues around the world are still playing, but conceding just two goals in the five games, just two in the last seven in fact, demonstrates the fact that coach Herve Renard has been working hard to make his team harder to beat.
In the middle of defense, Hassan Tambakti staked his claim for a starting spot while Ali Al-Bulaihi’s powerful presence made a difference. Abdulelah Al-Amri also did his chances of trying to stop Lionel Messi in the opening game no harm at all either. Who starts in defense remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that Mohammed Al-Owais is going to be the No. 1 goalkeeper.
Full-back options are looking better now than just a month ago. Sultan Al-Ghannam has returned from injury to play the second half against Panama and Yasser Al-Shahrani also looks to be back to fitness. Saud Abdulhamid did his chances no harm at all with some energetic defensive work and a fine goal against Iceland.
There is good news also in midfield with Abdulelah Al-Malki coming back from his ACL injury sustained against Japan in February. The Al-Hilal defensive midfielder looks set to be an important part of the team in the coming games. Despite his domestic ban, Mohamed Kanno still has the physicality and dynamism that keeps him going until the end. Also encouragingly, Salem Al-Dawsari, the team’s creative star, is another who has used the training camp to get back into shape following his appendix operation, and he will be crucial in Qatar.
Worries remain, however. Captain Salman Al-Faraj has been in and out of action with various knocks and was last seen leaving the pitch before half-time against Iceland with a shoulder injury. It doesn’t look too serious, and he could play against Croatia on Wednesday, but Renard must be concerned as to whether the classy midfielder can manage three games in just over a week. Al-Faraj keeps things simple and makes the team tick, and everyone will feel better if he lines up against Argentina.
And then there is the striking situation. While defensively, Saudi Arabia have looked sound, they still lack a cutting edge upfront. There were four scored in 450 minutes of football in Abu Dhabi, which means four scored from the last nine. Incredibly, the last time the three-time Asian champions scored more than once came in that thrilling 3-2 win over China in World Cup qualification, back in Oct. 2021. That was 18 games ago. No wonder then that there is a focus on keeping things tight at the back.
Saleh Al-Shehri initially provided hope. The Al-Hilal man was another coming back from a long-term absence and returned to score against North Macedonia in the opening game. Al-Shehri has since picked up a hamstring injury and while Renard said that he is now running without issues and should be fit to take on Argentina, there can be no certainty when it comes to those kinds of problems. Firas Al-Buraikan is a hard-working presence, but there is still a feeling that he may be best coming off the bench in the second half.
“We are ready for the World Cup, in part, as we have not yet reached full readiness,” said Renard. “We must preserve what we have achieved in the past weeks, and we must be more effective inside the penalty area.”
Compared to the other 31 teams, however, Saudi Arabia have had lots of game time over the last few weeks. There is still one left, the final friendly with Croatia in Riyadh when the country gets to say goodbye to the stars and wish them well. It will end one of the most extensive preparation periods in World Cup history, and Renard can’t complain about the support he has been given. Now it just remains to be seen how much of a difference it makes.