January 4 – Roberto Mancini has named his first squad for a major championship opting for a blend of youth and tried and tested experience in a Saudi Arabian squad that is drawn entirely from the Saudi Pro League.
Mancini took up the Saudi job just two weeks after quitting the Italian men’s national team in August.
Having guided Italy to the Euro 2021 championship, Mancini said his “target is to win the Asian Cup after 27 years”. In 2019 at the Asian Cup in the UAE, the Saudis were knocked out by eventual finalists Japan 1-0 in the round of 16. The Saudis have won the Asian Cup three times, the last championship win being in 1996.
Such is the ambition and investment in Saudi Arabian football, and particularly following their 2022 World Cup win against Argentina, there is heightened expectation for Mancini in Qatar for the Asian Cup that kicks off January 12.
Although only taking the job in August 2023, Mancini has already overseen an extensive series of friendlies including matches against Venezuela, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Korea Republic, Nigeria and Mali. Saudi Arabia have also won their first two matches in 2026 World Cup qualifying against Pakistan and Jordan.
Tonight Mancini has a pre-Asian Cup warm-up against Lebanon, followed by Palestine on Tuesday with a final warm-up against Hong Kong on January 10. Saudi Arabia open their Asian Cup campaign against Oman on January 16.
Mancini’s selection sees a changing of the guard in the Saudi ranks with 13 players selected for the 26-man squad who have 10 or less caps.
A bulk of the team comes from Saudi’s two highest profile clubs with eight players from Al-Hilal and six from Al-Nassr.
A hallmark of Mancini’s games in charge has been his willingness to try youth, having even called up 16-year-old budding star Talal Haji. But his Asian Cup squad has a group of more familiar and seasoned international faces.
AFC player of the year Salem Al-Dawsari will be crucial to Saudi Arabia’s creativity in midfield, as will his ability to score goals. Defensively Mohammed Kanno should provide steady influence in the midfield. But in front and behind them there are a lot of untested players.
Up front the most prolific forward in the domestic league has been Firas Al-Buraikan, who scored 17 goals last season for Al-Fateh, earning himself a move to Al-Ahli where he has continued to hit the back of the net.
But for the national team Mancini turned to Saleh Al-Shehri in the two World Cup qualifiers and was rewarded with four goals.
He was not involved in the two World Cup qualifiers but his goalscoring exploits have been hard to ignore.
He may not start though. Mancini, who has also selected young forward Abdullah Radif ahead of Abdullah Al-Hamdan, turned to Saleh Al-Shehri in the two World Cup qualifiers and was rewarded with four goals.
Defensively Mancini looks likely to rely veteran Al-Hilal centreback Ali Al-Bulaihi alongside club mate Hassan Al-Tambakti. Awn Al-Saluli is likely to be the third member of a three-man central defensive line-up. The Al-Taawoun player has been capped just twice.
Saudia Arabia are very much in a rebulding phase but when it comes to national team managers they are an impatient nation. Mancini will not have a huge amount of time to get his team right and challenging for the big honours. The Saudis expect nothing less.
Saudi Arabia squad
Goalkeepers: Nawaf Al Aqidi (Al Nassr), Raghed Najjar (Al Nassr), and Ahmed Al Kassar (Al-Fayah).
Defenders: Hassan Kadish (Al-Ittihad), Aoun Al Saluli (Al-Taawoun), Ali Al-Bulaihi (Al_hilal), Ali Lajami (Al-Nassr), Hassan Al-Tambakti (Al-Hilal), Saud Abdul Hamid (Al-Hilal), Fawaz Al Saqour (Al-Shabab), and Abdullah Al Khaybari (Al-Nassr).
Midfielders: AbdulIlah Al Maliki (Al-Hilal), Mukhtar Ali (Al-Fateh), Faisal Al Ghamdi (Al-Ittihad), Eid Al Mawlid (Al-Okhdood), Salem Al Dawsari (Al-Hilal), Abbas Al Hassan (Al-Fateh), Nasser Al Dosari (Al-Hilal), Muhammad Kanno (Al-Hilal), and Sami Al Naji (Al-Nassr).
Forwards: Fahd Al Mawlid (Al-Shabab), Ayman Yahya (Al-Nassr), Abdul Rahman Gharib (Al-Nassr), Firas Al Braikan (Al-Ahli), Abdullah Radif (Al-Shabab), Saleh Al Shehri (Al-Hilal).
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