Saudi Arabia's "Green Falcons" to seal qualification against Oman

The Saudi national team will face the Omani national team tomorrow, Saturday, in a highly anticipated match for the second round of Group A in the Gulf Cup (Khaleeji 27), currently being held in Jeddah, at the King Abdullah Sports City’s Inma Stadium.

The Saudi “Green Falcons” enter the match with high morale and a desire to secure their qualification early, having taken the top spot in the group with three points after a clean-sheet victory over the “Blue Scorpions” in the opening round. Greek coach Giorgos Donis is relying on a mix of experienced and young players, including Hamam Al-Hammami, Musab Al-Juwair, and Saleh Abu Al-Shammat, while missing the stars Salem Al-Dawsari and Saud Abdulhamid due to injury. Saudi Arabia’s starting goalkeeper, Nawaf Al-Aqidi, sustained a serious injury during the match against the “Blue Scorpions,” forcing him to leave the field, with veteran Mohammed Al-Owais coming on as his replacement.

On the other hand, the Omani “Red Falcons” enter the match with one point after a 1-1 draw against Iraq, making them in need of a positive result to keep their hopes of advancing to the semifinals alive.

Historically, the two teams have met in 16 previous Gulf Cup matches. Despite Saudi Arabia’s historical superiority, Oman eliminated the “Green Falcons” from the semifinals of the previous edition (Khaleeji 26) with a 2-1 victory.