SYDNEY: For the first time in 18 months, Herve Renard strutted into a press conference wearing a tracksuit emblazoned with the distinctive logo of Saudi Arabia and all felt right with the world.
The revered Frenchman returns to Saudi Arabia following the dismissal of Roberto Mancini last month after the Green Falcons’ slow start to World Cup qualifying, with a 2-0 loss to Japan and 0-0 with Bahrain the final straw after a strained 14-month tenure for the decorated Italian manager.
In opting to return to Renard, who oversaw their transformation from a middling nation to one capable of beating Argentina on the biggest stage, Saudi Arabia are hoping the past 18 months can simply disappear as if they never existed and Renard can take over where he left off.
And while most in Saudi Arabia are delighted to see the 56-year-old return, the feeling is also mutual, with Renard telling reporters in Melbourne, where Saudi Arabia play a crunch qualifier against Australia on Thursday night, that he was overjoyed to be back.
“My comeback was a (special) sensation,” he said with a broad smile. “The feeling was like I never left this team. I knew three-quarter of these players. We had a fantastic World Cup qualifiers in 2022 and a very good World Cup as well.”
But while there was more than a whiff of nostalgia in the air as he spoke to the assembled media from both Australia and Saudi Arabia, he was also quick to point out that the past was the past and the mission now is to ensure qualification for 2026, which after four games is looking precarious, with just one win on the board.
The Green Falcons are third in Group C, equal on five points with Australia (second) and Bahrain (fourth), and face the tricky prospect of back-to-back away games against Australia on Thursday and then against Indonesia next Tuesday, who held Saudi Arabia to a 1-1 draw in their first encounter in Jeddah in September.
“We still have a very good memories together, but this is the past. Now we have to look forward for these qualifiers,” he said.
“We are not in a very good position, but (also) not in a very bad situation as well. So we still have six games to look forward to qualify for the next World Cup, and this is our goal.”
They will have to confront the twin challenge of Australia and Indonesia without talisman Salem Al-Dawsari, who was ruled out with an injury suffered in Al-Hilal’s 3-1 win over Ettifaq last weekend.
The timing of the injury to arguably their best and most important player could not have been worse given their struggles to find the back of the net this campaign, with just three goals in four matches — the equal worst record of any of the 18 sides left in this phase of qualifying.
One player who is likely to carry an additional attacking burden in Al-Dawsari’s absence is his former Al-Hilal teammate, Saleh Al-Shehri.
Now with Al-Ittihad, the 31-year-old arrives in camp on the back of impressive form in the Roshn Saudi League. Stepping up in the absence of captain and former Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, Al-Shehri has scored twice in as many games and was confident he and his teammates can cover the absence of the former AFC Player of the Year.
“As a Saudi team, we always have a lot of players that can fill any shoes,” he said.
“So, I think either me or my other colleagues, we’re going to do our best to win this game. On the personal side, I think I’m going to have a good game and hopefully I’m going to score for my team tomorrow.”
With a sold-out crowd expected at Melbourne’s 30,000-capacity AAMI Park, the stakes could not be higher for both teams.
With Japan five points clear on top, Saudi Arabia and Australia are jostling for that second automatic position to guarantee qualification for the tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico, and with both teams level on points, Thursday night’s match could be decisive in determining which nation ultimately progresses.
In football parlance, it is a classic “six-pointer,” a game that neither side can afford to lose.
“It’s a very important game,” Renard said, “but we don’t want to underrate Indonesia (and) Bahrain; (Bahrain) were able to win in Australia.
“We are always talking about Australia (or) Saudi Arabia, but I think it will be a big fight between three or four teams for the second position. So, of course, this game is very important.”
The jovial frivolities of the press conference quickly gave way to the hard reality of why Saudi Arabia were in the cold of southern Australia, with the team getting their first look at Melbourne’s AAMI Park under gray and gloomy skies.
Perhaps that was a portent of what was to come, with news emerging late on Wednesday evening that recalled veteran Salman Al-Faraj had been taken to a nearby hospital for scans after injuring his knee in what could be another blow for Renard after the forced withdrawal of Al-Dawsari.
Time will tell if he will be fit enough to play a part in Thursday’s must-win encounter, but with or without the veteran, you know that with Renard back on the touchline, this Saudi side will put up a fight.
