This generation of players not qualified, says Saudi sports boss after opener

MOSCOW: Turki Al-sheikh, head of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Sports, has apologised to fans and expressed his deep displeasure after the team’s 5-0 humiliation by hosts Russia in the World Cup opener.

In a video on his Twitter account, Al-sheikh also said that no Saudi player is worth more than 1-million riyals (R3.6-million) and that a thorough investigation was needed.

“I do not know what to say, the players let me down, I take full responsibility for the Crown Prince and the entire Saudi fans, but these are the capabilities of the players,” he said.

“This generation of players is not qualified. I have said this over and over again and no one has believed me.

“I began to prepare an urgent plan to correct this course and I hope that everyone will support it. A thousand players between the ages of 12 and 16 must go abroad to learn the basics of professionalism.

“We want a generation for the coming years to bear fruit in the World Cup in 2026 and 2030, and we will work for our country.”

The nation’s football supremo, Adel Ezzat, was also highly critical of the team which suffered the biggest opening game defeat at a World Cup in 84 years on Thursday at the Luzhniki.

Ezzat said in a statement that the federation could hold several players to account, naming goalkeeper Abdullah Maayouf, defender Omar Hosawi and striker Mohammed Al Sahlawi.

He said the team did not live up to its latest results narrow 2-1 defeats to world champions Germany and Italy - when it mattered, under the eyes of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

“We did the preparatory programme to get rid of the fear situation in the face of the big teams, such as Italy and Germany,” he said.

Ezzat spoke of technical errors, including from the staff, without mentioning Argentine-spanish coach Juan Antonio Pizzi who himself spoke of a “shameful” performance but expressed faith in the players to bounce back against Uruguay and Egypt in their remaning Group A games.

“I have trust in my work and my players and I have full trust that we will have a better performance in the next game,” he said.

Pizzi, the third Saudi coach in a year, also said that “in everything I do I give my all.”

The Okaz news portal spoke of “a pale performance and hefty loss” which “not even the biggest pessimists” would have foreseen, and the Al-watan paper called the result “a painful fall.”

Saudi fans could watch the game via Bein Sports from neighbours Qatar, which can still be viewed in the country, even though economic and diplomatic ties between the two nations are frozen after Saudi Arabia and other countries accused Qatar of sponsoring terrorism.– DPA