French coach Hervé Renard, coach of the Saudi national team, confirmed that his players are ready to make history by qualifying for the final price of the World Cup in Qatar, when he meets his Mexican counterpart, on Wednesday, at Lusail Stadium in the third round of Group C competitions.
Renard said in a press conference on the eve of the match: “We are happy to play the decisive match tomorrow. We can make history for Saudi football, and with these words I have said everything.”
He added, “We maintained our chances until the third match in a strong group that includes ancient teams that are higher than us in the world rankings, and when you have the opportunity to snatch qualification to the next round, you have to fight with all your might.”
The Saudi team can guarantee qualification if it wins, but a draw will suffice if Poland beats Argentina. In the event that the two matches end in a tie, he will be eliminated from the competition.
Renard considered that the task will not be easy once morest Mexico, “which has great experience in the World Cup, greater than Saudi Arabia. But we want to make history. The last time Saudi Arabia qualified for the final price round was in 1994, that is, 28 years ago.”
He added, “We prepared for this match, it will be a tactical confrontation in the first place, a different match from Poland, it is a different team.”
What makes the task of the Saudi national team more difficult is its lack of four influential players due to injury or suspension. They are the captain of the team, Salman Al-Faraj, Saleh Al-Shahrani, Muhammad Al-Buraik due to injury, and Abdullah Al-Maliki, due to suspension.
He said in this regard: “We are missing 4 influential players, but we have a squad of 26 players. We must manage the situation and be strong. An important day awaits us.”
“No one expected us to qualify from such a difficult group. We have to put all our energy into it.”
He described facing Mexico as his third most important match following the Africa Cup of Nations final with Zambia in 2012 (he won the title), and with Ivory Coast in 2015 in the continental championship as well (he won the title).
He explained, “These are matches that you cannot lose, otherwise you will regret it for the rest of your life. This is not good.” And he addressed the Saudi public, saying: “Come in large numbers, because we need special support, and we hope to present you with qualification as a gift.”
And to the players, he said, “Do not be afraid. Believe in yourself. If you are confident in yourself and your colleagues, you can face any strong team.”
As for the Saudi national team midfielder, Muhammad Kanoo, who starred in the two matches once morest Argentina and Poland, and won praise even from European and international newspapers, he said regarding the match, “Mexico’s national team is physically strong, and therefore it will not be an easy match. Our goal is to collect the three points that will be our passport to the next round.”
And he talked regarding the importance of coach Renard, saying: “He is very close to the players and pays great attention to us. He stood by our side when we faced problems, and we want to return the favor to him on the field.”
He added, “It is a match of life or death, we want to give everything we have and write history for us as players and for the Saudi people.” And he concluded, “I hope that the Saudi public will stand with us, and God willing, we will whiten it.”
