Saudi Arabia: Five players to watch

NOV 22: For many observers, Saudi Arabia’s involvement at FIFA’s global showpiece has become something of the norm.

In reality, the 2006 World Cup marked the end of a golden era for the Green Falcons with the likes of Muhammad Al-Deayea, Sami Al Jaber and Saeed Al-Owairan hanging up their boots. As a result, Saudi Arabia failed to qualify for the global showpiece in both 2010 and 2014. It was not until a new crop of players emerged that the Arab heavyweights re-secured their World Cup status at Russia 2018.

In 2019, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation decided against renewing Argentine Juan Pizzi’s contract. A limp group stage exit at Russia 2018 was followed by further disappointment at the 2019 Asian Cup, when they were knocked out by Japan in the Round of 16. Frenchman Herve Renard was the chosen successor following his two Africa Cup of Nations triumphs with Zambia and Côte d'Ivoire respectively, as well as his experience coaching Morocco at the 2018 Russia World Cup.

The 53-year-old coach went to work immediately. He oversaw an overhaul, integrating established stars such as Salem Al-Dawsari and Salman Al Faraj with fresh, young talent in the form of Firas Al-Buraikan, Abdulelah Al-Amri and Sami Al-Najei. This period marked the end for several of the old guard including Abd Al Malik Al-Khaybri, Taisir Al-Jassim, and even former captain Osama Hawsawi, all of whom were key players in the Pizzi era.

The strategy had an immediate impact as evidenced in Saudi Arabia’s successful 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign. The Greens secured early passage to Qatar, registering just one defeat and finishing ahead of both Japan and Australia in their group. However, the first real litmus test is yet to come for this group of players; Renard will be hoping to secure a last-16 spot for the first time since 1994.

Here, we shed the spotlight on some of Saudi Arabia’s biggest hitters, who will be going all out to grab the headlines at Qatar 2022.

Abdulelah Al-Amri

Position: Centre-back

Age: 25

Since his call-up to the senior team in 2021, the talented Al-Nassr defender has established himself as one of Saudi Arabia’s standout performers and participated in all but one of The Greens’ World Cup qualifiers. He played a large part in the team securing five clean sheets out of nine.

As he prepares to pit his wits against the considerable talents of Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski, Al-Amri will have to be on his mettle to keep Group C’s sharpshooters at bay. Those deadly finishers will certainly stretch his defensive abilities, and his distribution from the back will play a key role.

In the Saudi Pro League, attackers rarely get past Al-Amri (once every two matches) and his ability to win one-on-one duels, both aerially and on the ground (on average 4.8 per match), speaks volumes about his defensive qualities. Despite the poor season that Al-Nassr endured last year, the talented stopper will be vital against some of the best teams in the world.

Yasser Al-Shahrani

Position: Left-back

Age: 30

Al-Shahrani, who plays his club football for reigning Saudi champions Al-Hilal, has been a mainstay in the Green Falcons’ backline since earning his first cap in the 2012 friendly meeting with Spain. He is now one of the most capped players in the squad, with 66 international appearances to his name.

Despite being a naturally right-footed player, he remains the preferred choice at left-back due to his high interception (1.9 per game) and blocking (1.4 per game) rates as well as his high-tempo running up and down the flank.

The versatile defender is equally at home at centre-back and has been a virtual ever-present in his nation’s biggest games throughout his international career. He played an instrumental role in helping the Arab outfit secure their spot at Qatar 2022, featuring in all but two of the qualifiers. The fact that club teammates Saud Abdul Hamid, who is very much a right-back, and Nasser Al-Dosari, a midfielder, had to plug the gap during his two-match absence, highlights the lack of a clear and obvious replacement for Al-Shahrani - further highlighting his value to the Green Falcons.

Salman Al-Faraj

Position: Midfielder

Age: 33

Captain for both club and country, Al-Faraj has performed to a consistently high standard in recent years, putting in a series of stellar displays for both Riyadh-based outfit Al-Hilal and the national team and is a key cog in Herve Renard’s system. Al-Faraj missed the team’s last few games and the quality he adds to the side, particularly in the middle of the pitch, was stark during his absence.

The veteran midfielder will need to summon every last ounce of his vast experience in the meetings with Argentina, Poland and Mexico as the Arabs seek to match their display in the tournament’s 1994 edition.

The left-footed player takes on average one shot per game, produces on average 2.1 dangerous passes in behind the defence per game (including crosses, through balls, and long balls), as well as breaking up on average 1.6 opponents’ attacks.

Al-Faraj was injured for three weeks at the beginning of the year but rediscovered his best form against China in the AFC qualifiers. He also played a vital role in helping Al-Hilal reclaim the title in the Saudi Professional League.

Salem Al-Dawsari

Position: Winger

Age: 30

Al-Hilal’s Al-Dawsari is a unique talent in an era in which flair players are at somewhat of a premium. He made his international debut ten years ago and continues to deliver eye-catching performances at both club and international level. Last season in the Saudi League he had a hand in 14 goals in just 21 games - 9 goals and 5 assists.

The jet-heeled wideman has not featured in a few of the side’s most recent games but remains a pivotal figure within the squad due to the number of different roles he can play.

As for his World Cup pedigree, Al-Dawsari started all three group-stage games at Russia 2018 and hit a last-gasp winner in the final group-stage game against Egypt. He is expected to feature heavily in the Green Falcons’ quest to make their mark in Qatar.

Firas Al-Buraikan

Position: Forward

Age: 22

Head coach Renard has complete faith in the up-and-coming star, with the Frenchman handing the youngster his first senior cap at the tender age of 19. The stats, however, speak for themselves. Al-Buraikan scored 11 goals, ahead of rivals Salem Al-Dosari and Hattan Bahabri who grabbed nine and seven goals respectively.

While some may consider Al-Buraikan too young to lead the Green Falcons’ attack, he is a mainstay of the national squad and seizes every opportunity with both hands. Despite having so far failed to find the net with any regularity, the goals he bagged against Japan, China, and Oman all proved to be match-winners.

The fresh-faced hotshot will be tasked with firing his side to glory when they come up against the Messi-inspired Copa America holders, a Poland side led by Lewandowski, and Mexico, whose 1-0 victory over 2014 World Cup winners Germany contributed to the reigning champions’ downfall in Russia, where they crashed out meekly at the group stage.

What really sets apart the young gun is his quality build-up play, with the likes of Salem Al-Dawsari relishing the service.