Football federation chief praises Saudi squad ahead of 25th Gulf Cup in Iraq

Yasser Al-Misehal, chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Arabian Football Association, on Monday met players and staff of the national team that will contest the 25th Gulf Cup in Basra.

Al-Misehal joined the squad at their headquarters in Riyadh as they continued their preparation before heading to Iraq for the tournament, held from Jan. 6-19.

Al-Mishal praised the discipline and attitude of the players at the camp, and wished them success ahead of their first fixture of the competition against Yemen on Friday.

The Green Falcons kicked off their latest training camp with a workout at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, under the supervision of SAFF technical director Saad Al-Shehri, and will continue their preparation on Tuesday in a session that will be closed to the media and public.

Following the opener against Yemen, Saudi Arabia will face hosts Iraq on Monday, Jan. 9, before concluding their Group A matches against Oman on Thursday, Jan. 12.

Group B includes the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.