Saudi Arabia lose ‘golden substitute’ Mohamed Al-Qahtani for Oman clash

Saudi Arabia will be without Mohamed Al-Qahtani for their decisive Gulf Cup 27 Group B meeting with Oman after the Al Qadsiah winger missed the team’s final training session with abdominal pain.

The match will take place on Saturday at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah, with the Green needing victory to secure a place in the semi-finals regardless of the result of their final group game against Iraq on Tuesday.

Al-Qahtani was absent from training on Friday, 24 hours before the Oman fixture, having failed to take part in any session since Saudi Arabia’s 1-0 victory over Kuwait in the opening round on Wednesday.

His withdrawal leaves Saudi Arabia with a second confirmed absentee for the tournament. Goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi, who plays for Al Nassr, suffered a serious injury during the opening match against Kuwait and is also unavailable.

Al-Qahtani has enjoyed an impressive season with Al Qadsiah, despite regularly being used as a substitute. He has scored two goals and provided one assist, while playing only 262 minutes in total – the equivalent of fewer than three full matches.

He came off the bench during the win over Kuwait and threatened the opposition goal with a dangerous shot at Saud Al-Hoshan. However, he was unable to score or create a goal in his brief appearance.

Saudi Arabia began their Gulf Cup 27 campaign with a narrow victory over Kuwait, while Oman will now face a side missing one of its most effective impact players. A win for the Green would guarantee qualification for the last four before their final group fixture against Iraq.

The Saudi national team completed preparations for the Oman match on Friday, with the squad’s official account confirming the final training session and Al-Qahtani’s absence.