Roberto Mancini names his first Saudi Arabia training squad ahead of friendlies in Newcastle

New Saudi Arabia head coach Roberto Mancini has picked his 26-man training squad for the Green Falcons’ preparation camp. (Supplied/SAFF)
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Updated 02 September 2023
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Roberto Mancini names his first Saudi Arabia training squad ahead of friendlies in Newcastle

  • Green Falcons will play Costa Rica, South Korea as part of AFC Asian Cup preparations 

LONDON: New Saudi Arabia head coach Roberto Mancini has picked his 26-man training squad for the Green Falcons’ preparation camp, which starts on Sunday in Newcastle.

The team will depart for the UK from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, and will play two friendly matches during the training window, which runs from Sept. 3-12.

The first match will be against the Costa Rican national team on Sept. 8. The second will be against South Korea national team on Sept. 12. Both games will be played at St. James’ Park, the home stadium of Newcastle United.

The training camp will double up as preparation for the AFC Asian Cup 2023, which begins in January, where the Green Falcons will face Oman, Kyrgyzstan and Thailand in the group stage.

Mancini’s list is as follows: Mohammed Al-Owais, Nawaf Alaqidi, Mohammed Al-Yami, Raghed Al-Najjar, Yasser Al-Shahrani, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Hassan Tambakti, Ahmed Sharahili, Ali Al-Bulaihi, Sultan Al-Ghanam, Ahmed Bamsaud, Saud Abdulhamid, Riyadh Sharahili, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Ali Hazzazi, Mohammed Kanu, Salem Al-Dawsari, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Sami Al-Najai, Sumayhan Al-Nabit, Abdulaziz Al-Bishi, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Fahd Al-Rashidi, Fahad Al-Muwallad, Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Feras Albrikan.


Bayern demolishes Wolfsburg 8-1 to go 11 points clear in Bundesliga

Updated 12 January 2026
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Bayern demolishes Wolfsburg 8-1 to go 11 points clear in Bundesliga

  • Bayern hasn’t lost a Bundesliga game since March and remains the only unbeaten team in any of Europe’s five biggest leagues

Michael Olize scored twice as Bayern Munich started the new year by routing Wolfsburg 8-1 with six second-half goals to move 11 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
Olize, Harry Kane and Luis Díaz picked apart the Wolfsburg defense on Sunday in a display of dominance which leaves Bayern firmly on course to defend the title in only the 16th game of the 34-game season.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany was pleased his players didn’t let up.
“It’s these moments where it’s five, six, 7-1, and they keep running, they keep pressing and keep trying to score goals,” he told broadcaster DAZN. “I have to say, I like that.”
In freezing temperatures for Bayern’s first game since the winter break, Olize got a brace and Kane and Díaz one apiece, along with goals for substitutes Raphael Guerreiro and Leon Goretzka, and two Wolfsburg own-goals.
Bayern only had two nervous moments all game. The first was Dzenan Pejcinovic’s goal for Wolfsburg in the 13th, which leveled the score at 1-1 after right back Konrad Laimer missed an interception.
The other was a brief injury scare for Kane, who needed treatment after being caught on the ankle by defender Moritz Jenz midway through the first half but was soon back in action.
It was Bayern’s biggest margin of victory in a Bundesliga game since Kompany took over ahead of the 2024-25 season. His team has scored a remarkable 63 goals in 16 league games this season, nearly four per game, and conceded only 12.
Bayern hasn’t lost a Bundesliga game since March and remains the only unbeaten team in any of Europe’s five biggest leagues. Wolfsburg is 14th, three points above the relegation zone, as a troubled season hits a new low.
Bayern’s closest rivals all had difficulties this weekend as second-place Borussia Dortmund drew 3-3 with Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen lost 4-1 to Stuttgart and Leipzig’s game was postponed due to snow.
Wolfsburg’s American midfielder Kevin Paredes entered in the 77th minute, his first match this season after recovering from foot surgery in August.
Also Sunday, United States full back Joe Scally scored his first goal since 2023 as Borussia Moenchengladbach beat Augsburg 4-0. Gladbach moved up two places to 10th after winning at home for only the second time this season.