Saudi coach Mancini wants his players getting more time in a Ronaldo-dominated league
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring his side's second goal playing for a combined XI of Saudi Arabian teams Al Nassr and PSG during a friendly soccer match at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 19, 2023. Credit: AP/Hussein Malla
While the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar thrill supporters of Saudi clubs, Roberto Mancini is concerned that his national team players aren’t getting enough time in the league to prepare for World Cup qualifying.
Saudi Arabia was among the high-profile Asian teams that struggled in third-round openers last week in continental World Cup qualifying. The Saudis were held 1-1 by Indonesia, the lowest-ranked of the six-teams in Group C. Tuesday is a crucial match against China at Dalian for coach Mancini’s team.
“We have had problems capitalizing on opportunities, which have been evident in the last few games,” Mancini said.
With most clubs in the Saudi Pro League using their full quota of 10 foreign imports, Mancini, who left his job as head coach of Italy a year ago to join Saudi Arabia's national team, has complained that local players are not getting enough action.
“Saudi Arabia’s national team players must participate as core players with their clubs," Mancini said. “I have 20 players sitting on the bench in local matches.”
He said there needed to be greater cooperation between the national team and clubs.
Australia’s attempt to qualify for a sixth successive World Cup tournament was damaged by a shocking 1–0 loss to Bahrain at home.
Japan's players celebrate Japan's fourth goal during a World Cup and AFC Asian Qualifier between Japan and China at Saitama Stadium 2002 in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. Credit: AP/Shuji Kajiyama
“It’s a learning curve for the players. It wasn’t our night,” Socceroos coach Graham Arnold said. “You could see physically they were ready for us. These types of things happen in football, it’s how you get over it.”
Australia faces a relatively short trip to Jakarta to face a much-improved Indonesia squad that will be supported by 60,000 fans. “We are not afraid of anyone and we are looking forward to the challenge,” Indonesia coach Shin Tae-yong said.
The early pacesetters in Group C meet when Bahrain hosts Japan, which opened with a thumping 7-0 win over China.
The 18 teams in the third round of qualification have been divided into three groups of six. The top two from each automatically qualify for the World Cup. The teams that place third and fourth will advance to a fourth round to compete for two more places.
Bahrain's Mahdi Abduljabbar Mahdi Darwish Hasan, front left, competes with Australia's Harry Souttar for a high ball during their World Cup 2026 qualifying match at the Gold Coast, Australia, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. Credit: AP/Dave Hunt
In Group B, South Korea also started with a disappointing result, a 0-0 draw with the Palestinian team in Seoul. Led by English Premier League stars Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan as well as Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in, South Korea travels to Muscat to face Oman, which lost 1-0 to Iraq.
Son suggested the poor pitch condition in Seoul was a reason for the result.
“We weren’t able to play at a high tempo and I am sure fans were disappointed with that,” Son said. “The fact that pitch conditions are better for away matches is a shame, but I also think it’s fortunate for us at the same time.”
The Palestinians will play Jordan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as the team is unable to host games at home. Jordan had a 1-1 draw with Kuwait in its opening game a nd now faces Iraq, the only team in the group to win.
In Group A, United Arab Emirates won 3-1 at Qatar and hosts this week Iran, also with three points already on the board after beating Kyrgyzstan 1-0. Qatar, the 2022 World Cup host has never qualified for the tournament, will take on North Korea.
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