Saudi Gazette report
JEDDAH — All eyes will be on King Abdullah Sports City on Tuesday night as Saudi Arabia and Iraq collide in a high-stakes, winner-takes-all clash in the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 Playoffs Group B.
Victory will guarantee automatic qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026, while the losing side must advance to a playoff against the Group A runners-up for another chance to reach the global finals through the FIFA Playoff Tournament.
Saudi Arabia enter the match with momentum, having edged Indonesia 3-2 in their group opener.
Herve Renard’s side need only a draw to confirm their place at the World Cup, thanks to their superior goal difference over Iraq, who defeated Indonesia 1-0.
However, the Green Falcons will be without key midfielder Mohammed Kanno, who received a late red card in the previous match.
Renard is expected to rely again on young forward Saleh Al Shamat, whose equalizer against Indonesia capped an impressive performance in just his fourth international appearance.
Feras Al Brikan — Al Ahli’s in-form striker — will spearhead the attack after netting twice in Jeddah last week. But Renard has warned that defensive lapses must be eliminated after Indonesia managed 17 attempts, 10 on target, in the previous game.
“What we did before is nothing now,” Renard said in his pre-match press conference.
“If we don’t achieve our goal tomorrow, no one will remember Indonesia or Bahrain. The most important is this game.
“I’m lucky to have players with experience like Saleh Al Shehri and captain Salem Al Dawsari, and now Hassan Al Tambakti is getting more experience. I tell them always to stay focused — that’s the key for tomorrow.”
Iraq, led by Australian coach Graham Arnold, need a victory to qualify directly. The team has scored in 13 of their last 16 qualifiers but faces uncertainty over top scorer Aymen Hussein, who missed the previous match against Indonesia.
Arnold will also have to cope without suspended defender Zaid Tahseen but remains upbeat ahead of the decisive encounter.
“It’s a very special game tomorrow night,” Arnold said. “The pressure is more on Saudi. They have two ways to qualify — draw or win — but we have only one way, and that’s to win. We’re going for it.
“Saudi will have 90 percent of the fans, plus media and FIFA pressure. For us, it’s simple — we have nothing to lose.”
Saudi Arabia, six-time World Cup participants, are aiming for their seventh appearance on the global stage, while Iraq — last seen at the World Cup in 1986 — are seeking to end a four-decade absence.
The atmosphere at the sold-out King Abdullah Sports City Stadium is expected to be electric, with more than 60,000 fans anticipated to roar on the Green Falcons in Jeddah’s latest showcase of Asian football drama.
