Hervé Renard criticizes Saudi players
This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
Hervé Renard, the coach of the Saudi national team, expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance of his players after the sudden defeat against Indonesia in the sixth round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, in a match organized at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
‘Les Verts’ suffered a historic and unprecedented defeat against the Indonesian team, with Renard describing the performance as lax, noting that the players treated the match as if it was a trial match.
Statements by Hervé Renard
Renard said after the match:
About performance: “The players entered the match as if it was a friendly match. The Indonesian team deserved to win with their great performance.
About the group: “Japan is now well ahead and will qualify directly. “The fight for second place will be fierce. »
About the future: “There are four matches left and we have to fight until the end, whether to qualify directly or via the playoffs. »
Regarding rainy weather: “These circumstances are not new for Saudi players. The problem is that we started the match badly, which made things difficult for us.
About the attack: “We haven’t recorded in a while. “The Indonesian counter-attacks were decisive, even if we did not get a penalty. »
Group standings and Saudi Arabia’s position
After this defeat, the Saudi team’s total stood at 6 points, falling to fourth place on goal difference behind Indonesia, who moved up to third place. The Indonesian team took advantage of China’s defeat against Japan (3-1) in the same round.
The Saudi national team faces great pressure in the upcoming matches to secure direct or playoff qualification, as this requires improving offensive performance and correcting defensive mistakes that cost the team unexpected losses.
