Want the insider's guide on how to follow Saudi Arabia? Here we help you with the insider knowledge.
No team at this summer’s football World Cup? Want to support another team as well as your own country?
Well, fear not, here's our guide to supporting Saudi Arabia.
Key facts:
Full name: The Saudi National team
Nickname: The green
Emblem: The Arabian hawk
Supporters nickname: None
Coach: Juan Antonio Pizzi (Spanish/Argentine)
HQ during the World Cup: St. Petersburg
Chanting: Oh ya Saudi
What to shout during matches
Goal: Hadaf
Offside: Tasallol
Game: Mobarah
Foul: Foul
Free-kick: Foul
Best World Cup moment:
Striker Saied Al Owairan dribbles past four Belgium players in a 60-yard run before scoring the winner against Belgium to send the Saudi’s to the second round of the USA 94 tournament.
Worst World Cup moment:
Losing 8-0 to Germany in the group stage of the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
Players to follow:
Taisir Al-Jassim: in the absence of influential playmaker Nawaf Al Abed, Al Jassim of Al Ahly will be the driving force in Saudi Arabia’s midfield.
Fahad Al Muwallad: The Ittihad winger scored the qualifying goal for Saudi in a 1-0 win over continental rivals Japan.
Mohammad Al Sahlawi: The striker plays for Al Nasr club.
On social media:
Saudi football federation:
@SaudiFF (in Arabic)
@SaudiNT (in English)
Saudi Minister for Sports, Turki Al Shaikh:@Turki_alalshikh
Players:
Fahad Al-mowallad:@foodii8
Osama Hawsawi:@osamahawsawi3
Nawaf Al Abed:@NWWAF_ALABD
Yasser Al Shahrani:@iyasser12
Motaz Hawsawi:@motaz_hawsawi.25
Omar Hawsawi:@omar.4h
Mohammed Kanno:@MohammedKanno
Salem Al Dawsari:@29salem
Paradoxical fact:
Bert Van Marwijk, the Dutch who led the Saudi during the qualifications, left the team right after he couldn’t agree terms for a new contract with the Saudi Football Federation officials, who wanted him to relocate in Saudi instead of living in Holland and only traveling to Saudi during match days and training camps.