Saudi Arabia 

Saudi Arabia last won the Asian Cup in 1996 on home soil and it will be something of a surprise if they repeat the feat in Doha, the venue for their historic 2-1 win against Argentina at the World Cup.

What to expect

That victory foreshadowed a momentous year for Saudi football, in particular domestically with massive investment infused into the club game.

But the Kingdom’s growing influence in the game so far hasn’t translated into a stronger national team. On the contrary, the marquee appointment of Roberto Mancini didn’t prevent a 2023 replete with defeats and underwhelming results. In 2027 Saudi Arabia will host the tournament and will expect to be very competitive on home soil. 2023 is a measure of how they are progressing post the seismic win over the eventual 2022 World Champions in Qatar.

The Saudis did prevail in recent World Cup qualifiers against Pakistan and Jordan and Mancini’s squad selection is a blend of old and new. That should be enough to navigate the first round.

The entire squad however is made up of players based in the Saudi Pro League, and despite the increased profile of the league, those players, the bulk coming from Al Hilal and Al Nassr, might struggle when they come up against the best of Asia in the knockout stages.

Star player

On the back of his heroics against Argentina at the World Cup, Salem Al-Dawsari won the AFC Player of the Year award in 2023. A winger, Al-Dawsari possesses good close control and the ability to ghost past players.

He is creative and lethal in front of goal. His movement off the ball is excellent, finding the right pockets of space, and he is tenacious through his nimble feet. Make no mistake, the 32-year-old is Saudi Arabia’s talismanic dangerman.

Manager 

Roberto Mancini departed Italy for Saudi Arabia to succeed Hervé Renard and become the highest-paid coach in the world.

The Italian performed a management miracle winning  Euro 2020 with the Azzurri and his new employer wants him to bring home a first continental title in 27 years.

Asia is new territory for the flamboyant manager, whose most ‘exotic’ stints were at Galatasaray and Zenit St Petersburg.

Mancini cautioned that he is no magician, but understands that expectations around the Green Falcons are high, even if the team is in transition after the World Cup. Anything less than competing for the main prizes will be considered a failure.

Schedule 

Tuesday, January 16, 2024, 8:30 pm: Saudi Arabia – Oman – Khalifa International Stadium, Doha

Sunday, January 21, 2024, 8:30 pm: Kyrgyz Republic – Saudi Arabia – Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Doha

Thursday, January 25, 2024, 6:00 pm: Saudi Arabia – Thailand – Education City Stadium, Doha

Squad