Facts about the Saudi team in Asia Cup

Saudi Arabia is preparing for the 2018 Asian Cup and hopes to win a fourth title, with the last continental title being won by the UAE in 1996.

Here are the facts about the Saudi team:

FIFA ranking: 69 overall and fifth Asian

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Saudi Arabia has participated nine times in the Asian Cup. It was the first time in 1984 that she managed to surprise and win the title, and to keep it at the next edition in 1988 in Qatar. Saudi Arabia crowned its third and final title in the UAE in 1996 and lost in the final in 2000 and 2007.

coach: Juan Antonio Pietzi from Argentina

Pietzi, the former coach of Chile, took over Saudi Arabia in November 2017, with an extended contract until the end of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. After defeating Egypt in the final match of Saudi Arabia in the final, officials have decided to extend the contract until the end of the 2019 Asian Cup.

Pittzi did not have much time to prepare for Saudi Arabia before the World Cup after being named successor to the Dutchman Bert van Marwijk a few months before the start of the finals. He was strongly criticized after a 5-0 defeat to Russia.

Despite a 1-0 defeat to Uruguay and a win against Egypt in a purely Arab match that restored the confidence of the Argentine coach, the fans now hope to play the title seriously in the UAE.

Best player: Born son

Despite the suffering of his club in the local league, Fahd Al-Mouloud remains one of the most important and dangerous players of the national team, one of the most experienced players of the current generation and a record of international goals with the will of Saudi Arabia to renew the blood of the national team.

The 24-year-old has the extra speed to play as a wing, late attacker or even spearhead. Al-Moulid is well-off and has been the target of the 2018 World Cup in Saudi Arabia. He scored his only goal in a 1-1 draw against Jordan in a friendly match in November.

How to qualify:

Saudi Arabia dominated the first group with 20 points in eight games and qualified for the next phase of the World Cup qualifiers. She also won the Asian Cup three years before the tournament began.

opportunities:

Saudi Arabia will play group five alongside Qatar, Lebanon and North Korea and will be a strong candidate to qualify for the second round and continue their career.

The expected clash against Qatar on Jan. 17 in Abu Dhabi at the end of the group should determine its lead.

Despite qualifying expectations, winning the title will be a surprise given the presence of more powerful teams in theory, such as Iran, South Korea and Japan.