Today's Match Against Pakistan Crucial to Strengthen Group Lead, Coach Mancini Says
Saudi national football team head coach Roberto Mancini emphasized the importance of today's match against the Pakistani national team as part of the fifth round of the second phase of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
“We aim to win the game to secure full points and strengthen our lead in the group,” Mancini said at a news conference held yesterday evening to discuss the Saudi national team’s preparations for the match.
Regarding arriving one day late to Pakistan ahead of the match, Mancini indicated that the team is accustomed to this approach, having applied it in the previous matches against Jordan and Tajikistan.
“We prefer training on our own football field and then having the final training session at the match venue. We aim to be fully focused to achieve our goal,” he said.
Meanwhile, the national team player Mukhtar Ali stressed the importance of focusing on the match, which holds great significance for the Saudi national team.
He confirmed its aim to deliver a good performance and earn the match points.