The Italian coach of the Saudi Olympic national team, Luigi Di Biagio, expressed his complete satisfaction and happiness with the performance of "Al-Akhdar" (the Green), after achieving a well-deserved and difficult victory over their Kyrgyz counterparts at the start of their journey in the qualifiers for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
In the post-match press conference, Di Biagio emphasized that the players displayed high tactical discipline and exceptional technical skill, fully deserving of the three points. The Italian coach pointed to the match statistics, which reflected Saudi Arabia's dominance, with possession exceeding 70%, demonstrating their attacking intent and control of the game throughout both halves.
De Biagio described the match as technically "beautiful," but stressed that work is still ongoing. He affirmed his determination to address some mistakes and further develop the players' performance in upcoming matches to ensure continued victories. The coach specifically mentioned Rakan Al-Ghamdi, the scorer of the decisive winning goal, expressing his deep gratitude to the national team's medical staff. He revealed that Al-Ghamdi had been carrying an injury before the match, and his participation was in doubt. However, the medical staff's efforts and preparation of the player enabled him to participate and score the winning goal in the 88th minute.
Regarding injuries, the Green Team coach noted that the substitution of striker Abdullah Radif came as a precautionary measure after the player felt some muscle pain during the match, preferring not to risk him in order to preserve his safety for the upcoming matches.
The context of the competition and the importance of winning
This victory is of paramount importance to the Saudi Olympic team, as it marks the beginning of their journey to defend the prestige of Saudi football in Asia. The young Green Falcons are striving to reaffirm their status as one of the strongest teams in Asia, especially given their status as the reigning champions of the AFC U-23 Championship, which they won in 2022. This places a significant responsibility on the coaching staff and players to maintain this legacy.
These qualifiers are a pivotal stage, as the participating teams aim to reach the continental finals to be held in Qatar, which in turn will be the gateway to qualifying for the Summer Olympic Games in Paris 2024. Therefore, winning all the points in the first round, especially in the match that was held at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, gives a huge morale boost to the players to top Group A and move forward towards direct qualification.
The Saudi sports community places great hope in the experience of the Italian school, represented by Luigi Di Biagio, to combine European tactical discipline with the high individual skills possessed by the Saudi player, with the aim of building a strong generation capable of competing in upcoming international and Olympic events.
