Saudi Arabia conclude preparation, training ahead of Arabian Gulf Cup opener against Yemen

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia completed on Thursday their preparations for their opening Arabian Gulf Cup fixture against Yemen on Friday in the presence of the head of the Saudi Football Association, Yasser Al-Mishal.

The Green Falcons get their campaign under way when they meet the Yemenis at the Basra International Stadium in Iraq.

The team were training at the stadium under the supervision of technical director, Saad Al-Shehri, who said he hoped to see continued development from the Saudi team following their FIFA World Cup exploits last year.

“We are very happy to be among our brothers in Iraq, and I thank the Iraqis for their hospitality and the unsurprising reception from them, and we wish them success in hosting and organizing this tournament,” Al-Shehri said.

“We will work hard to achieve our technical goals, including winning the championship, as well as the ultimate goal, which is to move forward in technical development that Saudi football is witnessing and achieving,” he added.

Player Riyad Sharahili explained during a press conference that the match against Yemen would not be easy and pointed out that he and his teammates were focused on performing at a high level to achieve a positive result.