Renard set for one of the most important matches of his career
Renard set for one of the most important matches of his career/node/2618734/saudi-football
Renard set for one of the most important matches of his career
(Ali Khamaj)
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https://arab.news/msq4y
Updated 14 min 52 sec ago
SALEH FAREED
Renard set for one of the most important matches of his career
Kingdom prepare for World Cup qualification showdown with Iraq
‘We like pressure,’ insists national coach
Updated 14 min 52 sec ago
SALEH FAREED
JEDDAH: Herve Renard, the French coach of the Saudi national team, has said that the Kingdom’s match against Iraq in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers is one of the most important matches of his coaching career.
“We are just 24 hours away from the match, and our goal is clear: qualifying for the World Cup. We must be fully focused to achieve that,” Renard said during a press conference on Monday ahead of the match at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah on Tuesday night.
The coach spoke of his journey with the Saudi national team since his return to coaching, saying: “When I returned to coach the national team, I had great confidence in the players, and I also had the confidence of the president of the federation.
“Football, like life, is full of challenges, and I love these challenges. We have great motivation, and we are one step away from achieving a new accomplishment.”
Renard responded to Iraq coach Graham Arnold’s comments that the pressure would be on Ƶ, saying: “We like pressure. For us, it’s positive pressure that pushes us to perform at our best.”
The Saudi national team can afford to win or draw to qualify for the World Cup finals in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The Iraqi national team need to win the clash.
Ƶ striker Saleh Al-Shehri also spoke at the press conference, and stressed that the Green Falcons will be playing to win, adding that qualification was the most important thing.
He said that even if the match conditions forced the team to draw, the most important thing was to qualify for the World Cup.
Both Ƶ and Iraq go into the final game in Group B of Asia’s fourth round of preliminaries with three points.
Defeat in Jakarta prompted Saudi changes, says coach Renard
“We know Indonesia is a good team, so we prepared for this game very well,” said Renard
“We also had revenge to take because we were very bad when we went to their home ground”
Updated 09 October 2025
Reuters
JEDDAH: Ƶ coach Herve Renard said losing to Indonesia in Jakarta last year had been the spur to make the changes required to his squad that led them to seal a crucial victory over Patrick Kluivert’s side on Wednesday.
The Saudis moved a step closer to automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup with a 3-2 victory over Indonesia in Jeddah as a new-look side avenged November’s 2-0 defeat to move to the top of Group B of qualifying.
Edging closer to victory
— Saudi National Team (@SaudiNT_EN)
The winners of the three-team group will progress directly to the finals in North America while the second placed finishers will advance to a further round of qualifying.
“We know Indonesia is a good team, so we prepared for this game very well,” said Renard. “We also had revenge to take because we were very bad when we went to their home ground.
“It was our fault, they put us under pressure and we didn’t manage to support the pressure. But it was also after this game I made some very important decisions, so maybe it was a good sign.”
One of Renard’s newest recruits, 23-year-old Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, scored Ƶ’s equalizer on his second international appearance after Kevin Diks had put Indonesia ahead from the penalty spot.
Feras Al-Buraikan scored twice more for the Saudis before another Diks penalty late in the game briefly gave the Indonesians hope of salvaging a point.
Indonesia will next take on Iraq on Saturday before the Saudis face their Gulf neighbors on Tuesday with a World Cup place alongside Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran, Uzbekistan and Jordan at stake.
Come on, Green Falcons!
— Saudi National Team (@SaudiNT_EN)
“One World Cup in your football career is something you can’t miss, so everyone wants to go to the World Cup,” said Renard.
“Nobody will give us anything. We will have to fight up to the last second. It won’t be easy, the next game. We know it. It will, maybe, be more difficult but we are going to fight and we know also what we want. This is the most important thing.
“We stay concentrated, focus on ourselves and of course we will watch the game between Indonesia and Iraq. It will also be a tough game. Iraq are a good team, fighting a lot, playing well.
“This group is not finished. We have to do it by ourselves.”
Ƶ in sight of World Cup finals thanks to Al-Shamat strike and Al-Buraikan double
Opening game of the 4th round of Asian qualifiers begins, and ends, as a tense affair for the Green Falcons as Indonesia take lead in 11th minute
Victory over Iraq on Tuesday will ensure Herve Renard’s men make their 7th appearance at the World Cup finals
Updated 08 October 2025
John Duerden
JEDDAH: Ƶ came from behind to defeat Indonesia 3-2 on Wednesday and take a giant step toward the 2026 World Cup finals.
Two goals from Firas Al-Buraikan and a fine strike from his Al-Ahli team-mate, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat, at their home ground in Jeddah means a victory over Iraq on Tuesday will ensure Herve Renard’s men make their seventh appearance at the World Cup finals, and even a point might be enough to book their tickets to North America.
We hold on to a valuable victory and three points.
Next up: Iraq!
— Saudi National Team (@SaudiNT_EN)
This opening game of the fourth round of the Asian qualifiers began, and would end, as a tense affair. The crowd at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, which is hosting all three Group B games, was silenced, aside from a small pocket of away fans, when Indonesia took the lead in the 11th minute.
After a cross into a crowded area was adjudged to have been handled by Hassan Tambakti, Kevin Diks stepped up to take the spot kick and found the bottom corner of the net despite the best efforts of Nawaf Al-Aqidi.
Given that the Saudis scored only seven goals across all 10 games in the third round of qualifiers, there was plenty of apprehension among the home crowd, but just six minutes later the hosts equalized and did so in style.
Musab Al-Juwayr flicked a pass to Al-Shamat, who turned inside a defender just outside the area and then fired a left-footed shot into the bottom corner of the goal past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Maarten Paes.
Ten minutes before the break, Ƶ were in front. A shirt pull in the area resulted in a penalty and Al-Buraikan stepped up to fire his team into the lead, beating Paes who saved a spot kick from Salem Al-Dawsari in the previous round.
The hosts continued to push forward in search of an all-important third goal, given that goal difference could well play a part in the final reckoning of the three-team group. It came just after the hour mark; Al-Juwayr’s shot from outside the area was palmed away by Paes but Al-Buraikan was there to hit home the rebound.
As the clock ticked down there was still time for some late drama in the form of an 89th-minute penalty call that went the way of the visitors, and Diks once again made no mistake from the spot.
Nine minutes of added time made for a tense finale for the Saudis, especially when substitute Mohammed Kanno was sent off for a second yellow, but they managed to hang on.
The Group B action continues on Saturday when Iraq will take on Indonesia, before facing Ƶ on Tuesday in the final game of the round.
The group winners qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the second-place team will face off against the runners-up in Group A over two legs, with the winner advancing to an inter-confederation play-off. Group A features Qatar and Oman, who played out a goalless draw on Wednesday, plus the UAE.
The Portuguese coach was revealed in a video on social media titled “The King Rules the Game“
He has signed a two-year contract and is the fourth Portuguese to manage the club
Updated 08 October 2025
AFP
RIYADH: Former AC Milan manager Sergio Conceicao will take over as coach of Al-Ittihad following the sacking of Laurent Blanc, the Ƶn Pro League club announced on Wednesday.
The Portuguese coach, who also won 52 caps as a player, was revealed in a video on social media titled “The King Rules the Game.”
“Victory is not a choice,” says Conceicao, 50, in the video.
The King rules the game
— Al-Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en)
“It is an identity that defines us. Rivals may change and their allies will fall but the champion remains.
“The champion owns the game. I am Sergio Conceicao, I came to build glory with Ittihad.”
He has signed a two-year contract and is the fourth Portuguese to manage the club, the most recent being current West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo who left in 2023.
Welcome, our new coach Conceição
— Al-Ittihad Club (@ittihad_en)
Conceicao spent seven years in charge of Porto winning the Portuguese league three times before moving to Milan in the middle of last season.
He was fired after AC Milan finished eighth in Serie A and lost to Bologna in the Italian Cup final.
Al-Ittihad are currently third in the Saudi Pro League, three points behind leaders Al-Nassr.
It was a 2-0 defeat by their rivals at the end of September that spelt the end of Blanc’s 14 months in charge.
Coach Herve Renard confident in Saudis’ ability to qualify for a 7th World Cup
‘We’re on the right track, technically,’ the Frenchman says. ‘We have made good progress in our performance … and we must prove that on the field’
Indonesia coach Patrick Kluivert unafraid to face the Green Falcons in Jeddah on Wednesday in the 4th round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup
Updated 07 October 2025
SALEH FAREED
JEDDAH: Saudi national football team head coach Herve Renard is confident his players can qualify for the nation’s seventh World Cup finals since 1994.
Speaking in Jeddah on Tuesday on the eve of their opening match in the fourth round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, against Indonesia, he said: “We’re on the right track, technically.
“We had a training camp in Europe during the last break. Tomorrow is a different match and everyone has hopes of qualifying for the World Cup. I’m confident that we’ll give more than 100 percent to reach the World Cup.
“I came here a year ago and the goal was to qualify directly, but that didn’t happen because we needed to improve in several aspects. We have made good progress in our performance since the Gulf Cup, and we must prove that on the field because the truth always appears on the field.”
The Saudis were defeated 2-1 by Oman in the semifinals of the Gulf Cup in December.
“Last January, I decided to change a large number of players; 50 percent of the players who were with us at that time changed,” Renard said.
“We developed, technically, and tomorrow we will see if we have developed enough.”
He revealed that his message to his players ahead of the game was simple: “We will qualify for the World Cup together.”
Indonesia’s coach, Patrick Kluivert, said he was not afraid to face the Green Falcons at home, in front of 60,000 Saudi fans.
“I know it is a crucial game but the Garuda players are ready to make the country proud,” he said.
“We consider this match as a final and we will do everything we can to achieve a positive result. We are confident that we will perform strongly.
“I won’t make any excuses, whatever the reason. Despite the late arrival of some players from Europe, we have no excuses at all. Although the absence of the goalkeeper is significant, we have the right alternative and we will seek to exploit set pieces. We will be a very difficult opponent.”
Asked about a rejected call by Indonesian football authorities for Kuwaiti referee Ahmad Al-Ali to be replaced with a neutral official, over concerns that refs from the region might be biased, Kluivert said: “I am here … to talk about the technical stuff, not anything else. It is not my business.”
Six teams are competing for the two remaining automatic World Cup qualification spots. They are split into two groups, with Iraq joining the Saudis and Indonesia in Group B, and Qatar, the UAE and Oman in Group A. The teams in each group will play each other once, with both group winners booking their places at the 2026 World Cup. The second-place teams will then face off over two legs, with the winner advancing to an inter-confederation play-off.
‘Whole country behind us’: Herve Renard and Ƶ united in World Cup convictions
The French coach spoke to Arab News about the vital upcoming Asian Qualifiers, the famous 2022 World Cup win over Argentina and starring in the new ‘You Got This’ campaign
Updated 01 October 2025
Aisha Fareed
RIYADH: A video for a newly launched campaign, “You Got This,” featuring Saudi national team head coach Herve Renard, begins with a solitary figure running — at first alone, then gradually joined by others, until the crowd itself carries the Frenchman forward.
It is not only a metaphor for Renard’s philosophy, but also an apt reflection of his training methods and the unity he believes is key to Ƶ’s dream of returning to the World Cup. In October, his team will take on Indonesia and Iraq in the fourth round of AFC Qualifiers, top the three-team Group B, and head to the tournament co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico next summer.
“It’s very good support,” Renard told Arab News at the launch of the Adidas campaign. “I think (the whole) country will be behind us. We know what they are expecting from us, but we are also expecting from them to support us. From the first gun to the last one. And together, we have to do it.”
It’s a powerful call to arms, and hearts. For Renard, running is more than fitness; it’s his thinking space, his strategy room, and his sanctuary.
“If I don’t run, I’m not feeling comfortable,” he said, explaining how his solitary runs are moments of mental preparation. “I never use music when I’m running. I’m always thinking about what I have to say, what maybe I didn’t do well before, what I have to improve, or what I will say to the players. Always to anticipate what’s coming.”
Arab News journalist Aisha Fareed with Hervé Renard during an exclusive interview. (AN Photo / Abdulrahman bin Shalhoub)
Renard is, in essence, consistently debating with himself — mentally rehearsing every team talk, every tactical shift, every outcome.
“As a coach, we also like the pressure,” he said, acknowledging the weight of expectation. “It’s some adrenaline, you know? The competition. If there is no pressure in football, it’s not the same.”
But there is one thing that keeps his compass steady: positivity.
“At the end, we are always thinking, we will be so happy, this is the most important (thing).”
If Renard, in the campaign, is the lone runner at the start, the Saudi crowd is the thunder that roars behind him. The energy of the supporters at home fixtures has often been transformational for his players.
“This is fantastic. Especially when we play in Jeddah,” Renard said. “The atmosphere can be incredible. But I always tell the players (that) the fans will follow us if we show them we are determined, if we are motivated. The first actions come from us.”
It’s a two-way relationship built on belief. The team feeds off the passion of the fans, and in return, the fans draw strength from the fight of their players. It’s no surprise that the memory of that famous 2-1 victory over Argentina at the 2022 World Cup still echoes in every chant.
“Always remember this game,” Renard added, his voice trailing into nostalgia. “But the focus is to try to do the same in the near future.”
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup looming and qualification rounds nearing conclusion, Renard’s attention is firmly on the immediate task of securing Ƶ’s place on the global stage once again. Recent friendlies against North Macedonia and Czechia have, according to the coach, been pivotal on and off the pitch for his squad.
“The spirit was fantastic,” Renard stressed. “We changed five players for each game, but the spirit was the same — the way we started, the way we finished. We didn’t treat them as friendlies. We were already thinking about October.”
And the evolution isn’t just about the senior squad. With Ƶ set to host the 2034 World Cup, the development of young talent is becoming more crucial than ever.
“The league is getting stronger,” Renard said. “So, it’s good for some Saudi players. Now they need to compete more. They are playing with very big players. That (will) bring them some experience.
“I’m sure they will get it. And they will be stronger for the future.”
Renard’s leadership is not flamboyant. It is thoughtful, relentless, and quietly commanding — like a long-distance runner who never stops moving forward. In his words and his work, there is always purpose.
“Let’s do it together,” he concluded, returning once more to that image of unity. “It’s a collaborative kind of work.”
From the quiet moments of introspection on a solitary run to the roar of the stadium in Jeddah, Renard is leading a collective sprint toward a future that holds both challenge and promise. And in true Saudi fashion, the whole nation is running with him.
