Firas Al-Buraikan set to lead Saudi Arabia’s attack against Qatar

Giorgos Donis is expected to select Firas Al-Buraikan as Saudi Arabia’s striker for Saturday’s Arabian Gulf Cup “Khaleeji 27” semi-final against Qatar.

Saudi Arabia face Qatar at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah, with Donis reportedly favouring Al-Buraikan ahead of Abdullah Al-Hamdan, who started the team’s previous match against Iraq.

Al-Hamdan scored in the victory over Iraq, but Al-Buraikan appears to have won the Greek manager’s support after scoring twice against Oman. That was the only match in Khaleeji 27 in which Al-Buraikan has started.

According to Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiyah, Donis has not yet settled on any other position in his starting line-up. The manager has spent the past few days testing more than one player in each position as he prepares for the meeting with Qatar.

The final team is expected to be confirmed during a technical meeting between Donis and the players on Saturday afternoon, only a few hours before kick-off.

Saudi Arabia are seeking to maintain their strong start to the tournament after winning all three of their group matches against Kuwait, Oman and Iraq. They have also kept a clean sheet throughout the competition so far.

The side’s perfect group-stage record has placed them in the semi-finals, where they will meet Qatar for a place in the Khaleeji 27 final.