Al-Haji calls for Saudi Arabia fans’ support ahead of Oman clash

Saudi Arabia midfielder Alaa Al-Haji has urged supporters to back the team as they prepare to face Oman in the second round of the Gulf Cup 27 group stage.

The two sides meet on Saturday at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, with Saudi Arabia looking to build on their 1-0 victory over Kuwait in their opening match.

Speaking to the media on Friday, in comments reported by Saudi newspaper Al Yaum, Al-Haji said the squad accepted the criticism that followed their performance.

“We accept criticism, and that is something that happens in football. Everyone here is a senior player and can handle criticism,” he said.

“But we also need the support of the Saudi public and fans, just as they supported us greatly in the previous match.”

Saudi Arabia’s players, including striker Abdullah Al-Hamdan, faced criticism after a subdued display against Kuwait despite securing the win.

Al-Haji said Oman would provide a demanding test, but believes Saudi Arabia are capable of taking all three points.

“All matches are difficult. We watched Oman’s game against Iraq, and it was a strong match. Oman are a good team, but we are capable of winning,” he said.

“All the players are united, we support one another, our morale is high and everyone is capable of helping us come away with victory.”

Saudi Arabia created several opportunities in their opening fixture but scored only once. Al-Haji said that attacking the opposition goal regularly was an encouraging sign, even though the team needed to be more clinical.

“We reached the goal many times in the previous match, but we were not successful in scoring and had to settle for one goal,” he said.

“We should have scored more, but creating those chances is positive and something we must build on in the next match.”

He also said the difficulty of the opening game had been expected and that the squad would be better prepared for the meeting with Oman.

“The first match was the opener, and the first game is always difficult, but we will be more prepared for the next one,” Al-Haji added.

Saudi Arabia are hosting the tournament, a factor Al-Haji believes can provide an additional boost to the team.

“We are playing the tournament on home soil, and that is a motivation for us,” he said.

“We saw the previous tournaments in Bahrain and Kuwait and how large the attendances were. That will have a positive role for us.”