Saudi Arabia national football team

Saudi Arabia
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) The Green Falcons
الصقور الخضر
Association Saudi Arabia Football Federation
Confederation AFC (Asia)
Head coach Jose Peseiro
Captain Hussein Sulaimani
Most caps Mohamed Al-Deayea (181)
Top scorer Majed Abdullah (67)
Home stadium King Fahd International Stadium
FIFA code KSA
FIFA ranking 68
Highest FIFA ranking 21 (July 2004)
Lowest FIFA ranking 81 (July 2006)
Elo ranking 43
Highest Elo ranking 27 (November 1998)
Lowest Elo ranking 112 (1970, 1972)
Home colours
Away colours
First international
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 3 - 1 Syria 
(Lebanon; October 20, 1957)
Biggest win
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 8 - 0 Macao Portugal
(Taif, Saudi Arabia; May 14, 1993)
Biggest defeat
United Arab Republic Egypt 13 - 0 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
(Casablanca; 3 September 1961)[1]
World Cup
Appearances 4 (First in 1994)
Best result Round of 16, 1994
AFC Asian Cup
Appearances 7 (First in 1984)
Best result Winners, 1984, 1988, 1996
Confederations Cup
Appearances 4 (First in 1992)
Best result Runners-up, 1992

The Saudi Arabia national football team (Arabic: منتخب السعودية لكرة القدم‎) (known by its fans as al-Sogour which means "The Falcons" or al-Akhdar which means "The Green") is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation. Considered one of Asia's most successful national teams, Saudi Arabia has won the Asian Cup three times (1984, 1988, and 1996) and qualified for the World Cup four consecutive times ever since debuting at the 1994 tournament.

In the 1994 World Cup, Saudi Arabia upset seeded Belgium and beat Morocco in the group stage before falling to Sweden in the Round of 16. Saudi Arabia was dismissed in the first round of the next three Cup tournaments.

Mohamed Al-Deayea, the team's former goalkeeper, is the world recordholder for the most international appearances by a male football player.

Contents

World Cup record

Year Round Position GP W D* L GS GA
1930 to 1958 Not a FIFA member - - - - - - -
1962 to 1974 Did not enter - - - - - - -
1978 to 1990 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1994 Round of 16 12 4 2 0 2 5 6
1998 Round 1 28 3 0 1 2 2 7
2002 Round 1 32 3 0 0 3 0 12
2006 Round 1 28 3 0 1 2 2 7
2010 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
Total 4/19 13 2 2 9 9 32
FIFA World Cup History
Year Round Score Result
1994 Round 1  Saudi Arabia 1 – 2  Netherlands Loss
Round 1  Saudi Arabia 2 – 1  Morocco Win
Round 1  Saudi Arabia 1 – 0  Belgium Win
Round 2  Saudi Arabia 1 – 3  Sweden Loss
1998 Round 1  Saudi Arabia 0 – 1  Denmark Loss
Round 1  Saudi Arabia 0 – 4  France Loss
Round 1  Saudi Arabia 2 – 2  South Africa Draw
2002 Round 1  Saudi Arabia 0 – 8  Germany Loss
Round 1  Saudi Arabia 0 – 1  Cameroon Loss
Round 1  Saudi Arabia 0 – 3  Republic of Ireland Loss
2006 Round 1  Saudi Arabia 2 – 2  Tunisia Draw
Round 1  Saudi Arabia 0 – 4  Ukraine Loss
Round 1  Saudi Arabia 0 – 1  Spain Loss
Total 9-32

Asian Cup record

AFC Asian Cup Record
Year Round
1956 to 1972 Did not enter
1976 Withdrew
1980 Did not enter
1984 Champions
1988 Champions
1992 Second place
1996 Champions
2000 Second place
2004 Group stage
2007 Second Place
2011 qualified

Gulf Cup of Nations Record

King Fahd International Stadium

3 times Champions (1994, 2002, 2003)

Arab Nations Cup Record

Best result :2times Champions (1998, 2002)

Islamic Solidarity Games Record

Coaches

Manager From To
Egypt Abdul-Rahman Fawzi 1957 1962
Tunisia Ali Chaouach 1962 1970
England George Seknas 1970 1972
Egypt Taha Ismail 1972 1974
Egypt Abdo Saleh Washash 1974 1974
Hungary Ferenc Puskás 1975 1975
England Bill McGarry 1976 1977
England Danny Allison 1978 1978
England David Wallit 1979 1979
Brazil Rubens Minelli 1980 1980
Brazil Mario Zagallo 1981 1984
Saudi Arabia Khalil Ibrahim Al-Zayani 1984 1984
Uruguay Kosia Tastilo 1986 1986
Brazil Osvaldo 1987 1987
Brazil Carlos Galletti 1988 1988
Uruguay Omar Borras 1988 1988
Brazil Carlos Alberto Parreira 1988 1990
Turkey Metin Türel 1990 1990
Brazil Caldinho Garcia 1992 1992
Brazil Veloso 1992 1992
Brazil Jose Candido 1993 1993
Netherlands Leo Beenhakker 1993 1994
Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-Kharashy 1994 1994
Brazil Ivo Wortmann 1994 1994
Argentina Jorge Raul Solari 1994 1994
Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-Kharashy 1995 1995
Brazil Ze Mario 1995 1996
Portugal Eduardo Vingada/Nelo Vingada 1996 1997
Germany Otto Pfister 1998 1998
Brazil Carlos Alberto Parreira 1998 1998
Saudi Arabia Mohammed Al-Kharashy June 1998 (1 game) June 1998
Germany Otto Pfister 1999 Feb 1999
Czech Republic Milan Máčala May 1999 2000
Saudi Arabia Nasser Al Johar 2000 2000
Serbia Slobodan Santrac Aug 2001 Aug 2001 (2 games before being sacked)
Saudi Arabia Nasser Al Johar Aug 2001 July 2002
Netherlands Gerard van der Lem Aug 2002 Aug 2004
Netherlands Martin Koopman 2002 2002 *one game only under reign of Van Der Lem
Saudi Arabia Nasser Al Johar Sep 2004 caretaker role Nov 2004
Argentina Gabriel Calderon Nov 2004 Dec 2005
Brazil Marcos Paqueta Jan 2006 March 2007
Brazil Helio dos Anjos March 2007 2008
Saudi Arabia Nasser Al Johar June 2008 February 2009
Portugal José Peseiro February 2009 Present

Current squad

The following players were called for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches on September 5 and 10 2009

0#0 Pos. Player Date of Birth (Age) Caps Goals Club
1 GK Waleed Abdullah April 19, 1986 23 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab
12 GK Mansour Al-Naje July 1, 1978 4 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli
2 DF Majed Al-Marshedi November 1, 1984 9 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
3 DF Redha Tukar November 29, 1975 98 11 Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad
4 DF Osama Hawsawi March 31, 1984 48 1 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
5 DF Hassan Mouath November 2, 1983 5 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab
16 DF Abdullah Al-Zori July 29, 1987 22 1 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
13 DF Hussein Аbdualghani January 21, 1977 107 3 Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr
15 MF Abdoh Otaif April 2, 1984 44 4 Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab
10 MF Mohammad Al-Shalhoub December 8, 1980 58 22 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
14 MF Saheb Al-Abdullah July 21, 1977 5 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli
8 MF Mohammed Noor February 26, 1978 74 23 Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad
18 MF Ahmed Al-Fraidi January 29, 1988 15 5 Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal
6 MF Ahmed Otaif April 14, 1983 25 1 Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab
17 MF Taisir Al-Jassim July 25, 1984 47 6 Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli
9 FW Saleh Bashir September 4, 1982 14 2 Saudi Arabia Al-Ittifaq
11 FW Naif Hazazi January 11, 1989 11 6 Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad
7 FW Nasser Al-Shamrani November 23, 1983 26 2 Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab
18 FW Yasser Al-Qahtani October 10, 1982 68 50 Saudi Arabia Al Hilal

References

External links

Titles

Preceded by
1980 Kuwait 
Asian Champions
1984 (First title)
1988 (Second title)
Succeeded by
1992 Japan 
Preceded by
1992 Japan 
Asian Champions
1996 (Third title)
Succeeded by
2000 Japan