DOHA: The Saudi Arabian national football team drew 0-0 with Palestine in their friendly match on Tuesday at Al-Wakra Club Stadium in Doha.
The match formed part of the final stage of the Kingdom team’s preparatory program for the 2023 Asian Cup, which starts in Qatar on Friday.
Head coach Roberto Mancini made seven changes to his starting lineup in the second half.
Saudi winger Salem Al-Dawsari was shown a red card in the 52nd minute of the clash which followed hot on the heels of the Green Falcons’ 1-0 win against Lebanon at the same stadium last week.
The Saudi side conclude their series of friendlies against Hong Kong on Wednesday night at the Al-Wakra Club Stadium.
Saudi Arabia are in Group F for the Asian Cup alongside Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, and Oman, and begin their campaign against the Omanis on Jan. 16.
Saudi Arabia, Palestine draw 0-0 ahead of Asian Cup
https://arab.news/9qvnv
Saudi Arabia, Palestine draw 0-0 ahead of Asian Cup
- Head coach Roberto Mancini makes 7 changes during the second half
- Green Falcons conclude their friendlies against Hong Kong on Wednesday
Al-Hilal return to winning ways, Al-Nassr stumble
- With just 2 wins in last 6 league games, pressure was on Al-Hilal
- Al-Nassr draw 2-2 with Al-Shabab to be 10 points behind leaders Al-Ittihad
RIYADH: Al-Hilal defeated Al-Fayha 2-0 on Friday to cut Al-Ittihad’s lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League to just four points while, despite another Cristiano Ronaldo special, Al-Nassr were held to a 2-2 draw by Al-Shabab in the Riyadh derby.
With just two wins in the last six league games, the pressure was on Al-Hilal but a first-half goal from Mohamed Kanno eased the worries of the defending champions. The midfielder was left unmarked near the penalty spot from a Ruben Neves corner from the right and headed home powerfully.
It put a spring in the step of the visitors but it was not until the 90th minute that Al-Hilal were certain of the three points. Aleksandar Mitrovic has been injured since January but was never going to miss when Salem Al-Dawsari pulled the ball back and the Serbian striker stroked home. It was not a vintage performance but the win was more than welcome for under-fire coach Jorge Jesus.
Back in Riyadh, Al-Nassr drew 2-2 with Al-Shabab and are now 10 points behind the leaders Al-Ittihad.
It all happened toward the end of the first half. Abderrazak Hamdallah opened the scoring against his former club, putting Al-Shabab ahead from the penalty spot. Daniel Podence was brought down just inside the area and up stepped the Moroccan to smash the ball into the corner.
But Al-Nassr were ahead by the break. Two minutes into added time, the Yellows equalized. Al-Shabab cleared a left-sided Ronaldo free-kick that bounced out to Ayman Yahya who lashed it home from just inside the area.
Seven minutes into added time Ronaldo put Al-Nassr ahead. The 40-year-old picked up possession on the right side of the area and then smashed the ball home into the roof of the net for his 18th league goal of the season.
It was all looking good but, seven minutes into the second half, Al-Nassr were reduced to 10 men as Mohammed Al-Fatil was adjudged to have bundled over Podence as the Portuguese star ran for goal.
Midway through the second period Al-Shabab took advantage of their one-man advantage and were back on level terms when Mohammed Al-Shwirekh headed home from a corner.
Just 10 points separate the top five teams with 10 games remaining. It is all still to play for.
Young Spanish star embraces transition from Barcelona to Al-Ittihad
- Unai Hernandez talks Saudi Pro League debut, fan support and Al-Ittihad’s title focus
JEDDAH: Although a statement addition to the Roshn Saudi League in January, Unai Hernandez had to wait a little before making his debut.
Maybe that was to be expected. The Spanish starlet, a feature of FC Barcelona’s reserve side this season, only made the transition from teenager to 20-year-old man a month before he left his homeland for Saudi Arabia.
Born in Barcelona, his transfer from the Spanish giants to Jeddah’s Al-Ittihad represented the midfielder’s first taste of the professional game outside his own country.
However, a few weeks after he left La Liga for the RSL, Hernandez finally got the opportunity to show what he could do in Al-Ittihad’s home clash against Al-Okhdood last Sunday.
The young star was introduced at Alinma Stadium as a 76th-minute substitute, replacing Saudi winger Abdulrahman Al-Obud.
For Hernandez, it was worth the wait.
“I am very happy to make my debut in this great team,” he said after the 1-1 draw. “Since I arrived, I was really eager to play, and well, it has been a tough match where we lost these points and the victory at the end.
“But we can’t relax. And we have to try to win every possible match."
Despite his tender years, Hernandez already sounds like a seasoned pro. It maybe helps that he is surrounded in the Al-Ittihad squad by some of football’s most decorated stars.
Among them are Karim Benzema, the club captain and winner of the 2022 Ballon d’Or. Then there is N’Golo Kante, a FIFA World Cup winner. And Fabinho, who, like Benzema, is a European champion who has won the UEFA Champions League.
As they have already followed the same path from Europe to Saudi Arabia, they will be crucial to helping Hernandez settle swiftly.
“I feel very comfortable with my new teammates,” Hernandez said. “The fans also support me a lot, and that makes me happy and gives me a lot of confidence when I go out for those minutes.”
Although he missed Thursday night’s 1-1 draw with Al-Qadsiah, he has said before that he hopes to play a role, no matter how big or small, in Al-Ittihad’s intended march to the title. With such a talented group of teammates, no doubt he is biding his time as he waits for his next chance to shine.
Al-Ittihad denied crucial win by late Al-Okhdood strike
- Frustrated Al-Ittihad lose chance to go 8 points clear
- Still plenty of life left in Saudi Pro League title chase
JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad were held to a 1-1 draw by Al-Okhdood on Sunday and while the leaders moved six points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League, it was a frustrating evening in Jeddah.
Deep into injury time and just seconds away from the final whistle, the Tigers were leading and ready to go eight points above Al-Hilal but a late equalizer means there is plenty of life left in the title race yet.
It also means that Okhdood are just two points off safety at the bottom of the table.
At half-time, Al-Ittihad were looking good to take full advantage of Al-Hilal’s loss against Al-Ahli on Friday. Karim Benzema and Moussa Diaby have been in fine attacking form this season and came close to breaking the deadlock in the opening half hour.
It came, however, six minutes before the break. Houssem Aouar grabbed his 10th goal of the season to put the Jeddah giants ahead. It was a special strike.
The Algerian received a pass from Hassan Kadesh on the left corner of the penalty box, spun to lose his marker, and then danced into the area to fire a low shot into the opposite corner.
In the second half, it seemed to be only a matter of time before Laurent Blanc’s men extended their lead and sealed a crucial win. Soon after the restart, Benzema hit the post as the French forward looked for his 17th league goal of the season.
More chances came, for the former Real Madrid star as well as his teammates, but none were converted. It all meant that Al-Ittihad were left to regret their wastefulness in the 97th minute.
The league leaders failed to clear a corner from the left and the ball fell to Christian Bassogog at the edge of the area and the Cameroonian left fly with a fierce shot that flew into the top corner.
The home crowd were stunned into silence while, in Riyadh, there was suddenly a little hope with 11 games left to play.
Penalty heartbreak for Saudi Arabia in U-20 Asian final
- Bassam Hazazi sees final penalty saved by Australian goalkeeper Steven Hall
- Haji had almost put his team ahead inside the third minute
SHENCHEN, CHINA: There was heartbreak for Saudi Arabia in the final of the AFC U-20 Asian Cup on Saturday as they lost a penalty shootout 5-4 to Australia.
After extra time ended with the score at 1-1, Bassam Hazazi stepped up to take the last of Saudi Arabia’s five penalty kicks only to see it saved by Australian goalkeeper Steven Hall.
Louis Agosti put Australia ahead in the first half, but Talal Haji equalized for Saudi Arabia just before the break.
Haji had almost put his team ahead inside the third minute with a low shot from the right of the area that was well-saved by Hall. The striker had another chance soon after, but blasted over the bar.
Australia took the lead in the 24th minute. Saudi Arabia failed to deal with a free-kick on the left and the ball fell to Agosti just outside the area. He swung a foot and his low shot ended up in the bottom corner. Saudi keeper Hamed Al-Shanqiti got a hand to the ball and probably should have kept it out.
Just when it looked as if the Green Falcons were going to in at the break behind, they had the ball in the net — though only just. Nawaf Al-Ghulaimish crossed from the right and Haji headed into the arms of goalkeeper Hall, who was standing behind the goal line. After a lengthy VAR check to ascertain whether the whole of the ball had crossed the line, the goal was given.
The second half was open with both teams pushing for a win. After 56 minutes there was a major scramble in the Saudi Arabian area. Al-Shanqiti made a smart reaction save from a botched clearance by Awad Aman, then Daniel Bennie had two shots blocked before Alexander Badolato pulled his effort just wide. Not long after Saad Haqawi’s low shot from the left was saved.
There were more opportunities, but the stalemate remained and the final went into extra time. Those 30 minutes carried on in the same vein before the referee blew his whistle to end two hours of football and signal a penalty shootout, the second in a row for Saudi Arabia, who defeated South Korea on penalties in the semi-final.
As in that match, Saudi Arabia’s opponents took the first kick. Unlike South Korea, Australia converted, and went on to score each of their penalties. Thamer Al-Khaibri coolly leveled with Saudi Arabia’s first. Farhah Al-Shamrani scored to make it 2-2. Ali Al-Mahdawi slotted home the third. Saleh Barnawi made it 4-4. Then the pressure was on Hazazi to level again and take the shootout into sudden death. But his effort was saved and Australia took the title.
Al-Hilal slip up at home against Al-Ahli as a Toney hat-trick dents their title hopes
- The England striker shines to give the visitors from Jeddah a memorable away victory that did not look at all likely at half-time
- Third-place Al-Nassr’s title ambitions also suffer a blow as they lose 2-1 at Al-Orubah; league leaders Al-Ittihad can go 8 points clear with a win on Sunday
JEDDAH: Al-Ahli defeated Al-Hilal 3-2 on Friday, with Ivan Toney blasting a big hole in the hosts’ Saudi Pro League title ambitions with a stunning second-half hat-trick in a thrilling game.
The England striker shone to give the visitors from Jeddah a famous victory that did bitter local rivals Al-Ittihad a huge favor, as the result means the league leaders remain five points clear of second-place Al-Hilal, now with a game in hand. Al-Ahli sit in fourth place, level on points with Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsiah.
The victory did not look at all likely at half-time, after 45 minutes during which the hosts were in control and had numerous chances. The game remained goalless at the break, however, and Blues would come to rue their misses.
Just moments after the restart, Gabri Veiga had the ball on the left wing and the Spaniard slipped the ball inside to Toney just inside the area. There was still a lot of work for the former Brentford man to do but he took a touch and then smoothly fired the ball across Yassine Bounou and into the net to send the away fans wild with delight.
The home support in the Kingdom Arena was stunned and things got worse for them after 52 minutes when Al-Ahli grabbed another well-worked goal, this time from the right. Galeno, who signed from Porto in January, sent a low cross across the face of goal to the waiting Toney who slotted home from close range.
Al-Hilal then pulled one back, courtesy of the in-form Salem Al-Dawsari. Malcom picked up the ball in the middle of the field and started a fluid move that ended with the Brazilian collecting possession again inside the area before pulling the ball back for Al-Dawsari, who timed his run perfectly.
Ten minutes later, the champions were level when, after a blatant handball in the area, Marcos Leonardo scored from the spot.
There was a final twist to come, though, as Toney completed his hat-trick with two minutes remaining. After an Al-Hilal clearance, Veiga hooked the ball back into the area for Toney to control and send a fierce shot past the helpless Bounou. Al-Hilal pushed forward during 15 minutes of added time but their efforts came to nothing.
Al-Hilal’s Riyadh rivals Al-Nassr also lost yesterday, 2-1 at Al-Orubah. Omar Al-Somah showed his goal-scoring instincts five minutes before the break when he slammed home a bouncing ball into the far corner.
Six minutes after the restart, though, Al-Nassr were back on level terms. Nawaf Boushal, just on as a substitute, ran onto an Angelo through ball and fired it home.
After 65 minutes, however, Al-Orubah scored the decider when Johann Gudmundsson picked up the ball well outside the area, advanced and then launched an unstoppable thunderbolt into the top corner.
Al-Ittihad fans would have enjoyed both of these results and the league leaders now have the chance to go eight points clear on Sunday when they host Al-Okhdood.
