The Saudi national team, under the guidance of its Greek head coach Georgios Donis, has made significant changes to its player roster for the 27th Gulf Cup. The team is preparing with hopes of success in this tournament, which will be hosted in Jeddah. Saudi Arabia arrives at this competition after recently being eliminated from the group stage of the 2026 World Cup and is looking to make up for its failures.
Exit of Big Names
Among the players who have been left out of the new Saudi national team roster is Salem Al-Dosari, the captain of the team. Salem Al-Dosari, who has always been one of the mainstays of the Saudi national team, finds himself in a sensitive situation with this decision by Donis. In addition to him, Saud Abdulhamid, Ahmed Al-Exar, Ali Majrashi, Ali Lajami, Ayman Yahya, Saleh Al-Shehri, and Khalid Al-Ghannam are also other players who, despite participating in the 2026 World Cup, have not been called up for these competitions.
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Introduction of New Faces
In contrast, the head coach of the Saudi national team has added eight new players to his roster. These players include Hamad Al-Shanqeeti, Mohammed Mahzari, Zakaria Hawsawi, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, Abdullah Al-Salem, Rayan Hamad, and Hamam Al-Hammami. These changes reflect Donis's efforts to rejuvenate the squad and create a fresh lineup for success in the upcoming competitions.
According to the tournament draw, Saudi Arabia has been grouped with Iraq, Oman, and Kuwait in Group A. In Group B, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Yemen will compete. This grouping could present new challenges for Saudi Arabia, especially considering the absence of key players.
Saudi Players List for the Gulf Cup
The selected players list for Saudi Arabia for this competition is as follows:
- Goalkeepers: Hamad Youssef, Nawaf Al-Aqidi, and Mohammed Al-Owais
- Defenders: Hassan Qadash, Rayan Hamad, Jihad Zakri, Abdulilah Al-Amri, Muteb Al-Harbi, Mohammed Mahzari, Nawaf Bushal, Hassan Tambakti, and Zakaria Hawsawi
- Midfielders: Ziad Al-Jahani, Mohammed Kano, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Musab Al-Jweir, Alaa Al-Hajji, Nasser Al-Dosari, and Abdullah Al-Khaibari
- Forwards: Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, Hamam Al-Hammami, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, Sultan Mandash, Abdullah Al-Salem, Firas Al-Buraikan, and Abdullah Al-Hamdan
The changes made to the Saudi national team roster, in addition to impacting the team's composition, reflect the determination and will of the head coach to achieve success in the Gulf Cup. As Saudi Arabia seeks to restore its position in Asian football, these changes could influence the team's fate in upcoming competitions.
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