LONDON: In the Saudi Pro League and the AFC Champions League, the games are coming thick and fast.
On Monday night, reigning Asian champions advanced to the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League Elite while Al-Hilal exited the competition on penalties in ties against Qatar opposition, respectively to Al-Duhail and Al-Sadd.
While Al-Ahli can look forward to Friday’s last clash with Johor Daryl Ta’zim of Malaysia, Al-Hilal will turn their attention to their increasingly trying task of catching Al-Nassr at the top of the SPL table.
As issues at both ends of the table get resolved, the 2026 World Cup looms on the horizon.
The end of an exciting domestic season is in sight and while fans around the country are looking at whether anyone can stop Al-Nassr winning a first title since 2019 and whether Damac can climb out of the relegation zone, Saudi national team coach Herve Renard will have a different agenda. The Frenchman will be watching and hoping that the local players can show what they are made of in the coming weeks and are fit and in form, as much as possible, heading into the summer.
Nobody needs reminding that the World Cup — where Saudi Arabia will face Uruguay, Spain and Cape Verde — is less than two months away. The form of the Green Falcons has been a concern since Renard returned to the role for a second stint.
Qualification was a slog and results since, especially the 4-0 friendly loss at home to Egypt last month, have deepened the gloom to the extent that there have been reports that the Frenchman could be replaced. That is unlikely now with such little time left, but there is work to do. One of the benefits of keeping the 57-year-old is that, in his second spell in charge of the country, he knows the league and the players well.
And he needs those players now, as much as their clubs do. Renard has complained, as did Roberto Mancini before him, that the locals don’t get enough playing time, but there are enough who have plenty of minutes. It may be too late for there to be a real surprise name to come from nowhere to earn a place in the starting 11 against Uruguay in Miami on June 15, but at least familiar faces can step up.
Salem Al-Dawsari, for one, who eight years on from scoring the winning goal against Egypt at Russia 2018, remains the man who carries the goalscoring burden for his country to a worrying extent. The two-time Asian Player of the Year is perhaps the only one Renard may not want to overstretch too much. At the age of 34, this is going to be his last World Cup, and the hope is that he can show, as he did in 2022, that he can still shine on the global stage and be the team’s main creative threat. In truth, the forward has not been at his best for the national team in recent times but grabbed his eighth league goal of the season in Hilal’s 6-0 recent thrashing of Al-Kholood. In February, he had looked pretty sharp when outpacing the whole of Al-Okhdood’s defense to score in another 6-0 win. He could yet report for national team duty as a champion of Saudi Arabia, but the likelihood is decreasing by the week thanks to Al-Nassr’s relentless charge to the SPL title.
Musab Al-Juwayr can share the creative burden. The 22-year-old has been a mainstay for Al-Qadsiah this season, flourishing under Brendan Rodgers. His vision and ability could be crucial in the US, and Renard will be keeping a close eye on his form and fitness.
There are still question marks about the goalkeepers and strikers, the two positions in which the Saudi Arabian players face the most competition with foreign imports.
Up front, Abdullah Al-Hamdan scored in that 2-1 loss to Serbia in the March friendly and while it is true that he has not gotten that many minutes in the league this season, the 26-year-old has started three of the last four in the league as the Yellows push for the title. He has contributed, with three goals in his last five to go along with his international strike. It could just be that he is playing himself into the starting 11.
His rival No. 9 Firas Al-Buraikan is in a similar position. His appearances for Al-Ahli this season have often been either from the bench or out of his favorite position. In four appearances as a striker, the 25-year-old has scored twice. The fourth top scorer of the 2022-23 season has shown in the past that he can find the target. Saleh Al-Shehri is another option but hasn’t played much either for Al-Ittihad with injuries interfering, though he did appear for the national team in March.
In goal, it was looking good as Nawaf Al-Aqidi had Al-Nassr’s starting spot and in January, he appeared in the Riyadh Derby with Mohammed Al-Rubaei between the sticks for Al-Hilal. Renard must have been delighted with two of his ‘keepers in action in such a huge game. Al-Aqidi’s red card, however, brought a suspension, and he has since lost his starting spot to the Brazilian Bento Al-Rubaei.
Ahmed Kasser has played a few games for Al-Qadsiah, so it is not a surprise that Renard called up Mohammed Al-Owais recently, as the veteran has been busy with Al-Ula in the second tier. His World Cup experience could help.
There is still time in the season for others, all around the pitch, to step up to help themselves and their country. But it’s running out fast.
