Donis sees Saudi Arabia’s South Korea win as proof of progress

Saudi Arabia manager Giorgos Donis gained a series of important benefits from his side’s historic 3-2 friendly victory over South Korea in Doha on Friday.

The match, played at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, was Saudi Arabia’s first friendly during the current international break as they prepare for their upcoming commitments. The result also ended a 21-year wait for victory over South Korea.

Saudi Arabia’s previous win came in 2005, when they beat South Korea 2-0 and 1-0 in the two legs of their 2006 World Cup qualifying tie. Since then, the teams had met six times, with South Korea winning twice and the other four matches ending in draws.

Friday’s game was the 19th meeting between the two nations in official and friendly competition, dating back to their first encounter in 1980. Saudi Arabia’s victory levelled the overall record at six wins apiece, with seven draws.

It was also the seventh friendly between the sides. South Korea had won two of the previous six, while three had ended level, before Saudi Arabia secured victory in Doha.

A boost for Donis

The result came only days after reports questioned Donis’ future as Saudi Arabia manager and suggested he could leave his position.

The Greek coach had led Saudi Arabia to the Gulf Cup 27 title, ending a 23-year wait for a trophy. However, some critics argued that the triumph had been largely down to the strength of the Saudi squad compared with their opponents. They pointed to the team’s failure to progress from the group stage of the 2026 World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico as evidence that Donis would face a greater test against stronger opposition.

The victory over South Korea, following a 21-year wait, gives Donis another significant achievement and strengthens the case for him to remain in charge.

Two teams in one match

Despite the pressure to win, Donis did not rely solely on his strongest available line-up. He started with a strong side before introducing a number of substitutes after half-time.

With South Korea only one goal away from an equaliser, the manager still used 21 players during the match, effectively fielding two different teams across the two halves. That provided valuable experience and showed Saudi Arabia have more than one capable option in several positions.

Tactical changes pay off

Saudi Arabia were without captain Salem Al-Dawsari and his replacement, Homam Al-Hamami, who was named the best player at Gulf Cup 27. Donis responded by selecting Marwan Al-Sahafi on the left wing and encouraging him to exchange positions with striker Abdullah Al-Hamdan and move into central areas without the ball.

The tactic helped produce Saudi Arabia’s opening goal, as Al-Hamdan became the provider and released Al-Sahafi, who moved into a striker’s position to score.

Set-pieces also remained a clear strength. Defender Abdulilah Al-Amri scored the third goal in the 59th minute, heading in a cross from midfielder Nasser Al-Dawsari after a corner.