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The Greek coach has a difficult task
Despite Saudi Arabia’s success in securing their place at the 2026 World Cup finals, Greek coach Georgios Donis is not inheriting a perfect squad ahead of world football’s biggest event.
Al Akhdar enter the World Cup suffering from a number of technical and mental problems that have been evident of late under French coach Hervé Renard. These are crises that Dennis must find quick solutions to if he is to be competitive against top teams.
Between a drop in confidence, repeated individual mistakes and defensive woes, the Greek coach looks to have a tough task ahead of him before his World Cup dream kicks off.
Crisis of confidence… Where is Greene’s character?
Recently, one of the most obvious problems of the Saudi national team is the loss of confidence during big matches.
Although Al-Akhdar has a group of players with international experience, the team often faltered against strong opposition, clearly struggling to get back into matches after falling behind.
This issue was also reflected in the attacking play, as the team lacked courage and initiative in many confrontations, turning from a team capable of surprising the seniors to a team that mainly sought to avoid losses.
Above all, Donis must rebuild the mental side of the players, especially since the matches of the World Cup do not give a chance to those who enter them with a shaky personality.
Individual mistakes…the first enemy
During the last qualifying round and friendly matches, individual mistakes were remarkably repeated in the Saudi Arabian national team.
Whether passing under pressure, defending or dealing with the opposition’s quick passes, errors emerged that cost Al-Akhdari goals and dangerous chances that could have been avoided.
In major tournaments, these small details are often the difference between winning and losing, making addressing this issue a top priority for a new coaching staff.
Against top-class teams, just one mistake can turn into a goal that is difficult to compensate for.
A constant nightmare
Recently, crosses are perhaps the most obvious problem in the Saudi Arabian national team.
In many matches, the Greens defense seemed unable to touch balls sent into the penalty area due to poor positioning, poor control or delayed decision-making.
Opponents exploited this gap many times, making crosses one of the most dangerous weapons used against the Saudi national team.
With the presence of teams with great physical strength in the World Cup, the continuation of this problem on the greens can be very expensive during the tournament.
Lack of offensive identity
While Saudi Arabia have a group of elements capable of making an attacking difference, the team lacked a clear identity in the final third for a long time.
The impact of some stars has diminished due to complex tactical roles, while the team has struggled to create chances regularly against defensively organized opponents.
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Al-Akhdari also lacked a variety of solutions to build attacks, often relying on individual efforts rather than teamwork.
This highlights Donis’ role in re-discovering the best in his players and giving them the freedom to unleash their attacking potential.
