Alkass Digital
Saudi Arabia’s AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar campaign may have come to an end but Saad Al Shehri is optimistic about the future, with the head coach confident his players are set to become the new faces of the West Asian nation’s football.
Saudi Arabia’s title defence was ended in the quarter-finals by Uzbekistan on Friday, with the Central Asian side exacting revenge for their loss in the final two years ago.
Al Shehri’s side just couldn’t get a foothold in the game and their situation was made worse by Aiman Yahya’s red card, with Uzbekistan winning 2-0 to book a semi-final date with Indonesia.
“As expected, it was a tough match,” said Al Shehri. “The first half was equal with both teams playing with high intensity and then Uzbekistan realised one opportunity. In such matches, it’s the small details that matter the most.
“The second half saw many stoppages in the opening minutes and our performance was affected by the red card. Our players gave it their all but it was not meant to be for us.”
The result also spelled the end of their Paris Olympics dream but despite the defeat, Al Shehri said the experience can only make his players better.
“This is the last moment for the team. We’ve played together for four years and achieved so much.”
“Even though our goal was to reach the Olympics, losing this tournament won’t change the fact that we were able to create a generation of players to serve the Saudi Arabia senior national team. I believe my players have the potential.
“The players will need to put this loss behind them and look towards the improvement of Saudi football.”
The second semi-final will be played between Japan and Vietnam with both the games scheduled for tomorrow.