Saudi Arabia’s Mohamed Mahzari ruled out of Uzbekistan friendly with thigh injury

Saudi Arabia forward Mohamed Mahzari has been ruled out of the national team’s training camp in Qatar after suffering a thigh injury.

The Saudi Football Federation said Mahzari felt pain in his hamstring during the November international break. Medical tests confirmed the injury and showed that he requires treatment and rehabilitation.

Mahzari will return to Riyadh on Saturday to begin his recovery programme with his club.

The decision comes after Saudi Arabia began the current international window with a 3-2 victory over South Korea at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Friday.

Marwan Al-Sahafi, the Al-Ittihad winger, put Saudi Arabia ahead in first-half stoppage time, scoring in the first minute added on.

South Korea equalised two minutes after the restart when Hyun-gyu converted a low cross with a powerful finish that goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais could not keep out.

Saudi Arabia restored their advantage in the 56th minute. Al-Hilal midfielder Mohamed Kanno received a pass from Lens full-back Saud Abdulhamid before driving the ball into the net.

The hosts extended their lead three minutes later when Al-Nassr defender Abdulelah Al-Amri headed in a corner delivered by Al-Hilal midfielder Nasser Al-Dawsari.

Lee Jae pulled one back for South Korea in the 68th minute by turning another low cross past Al-Owais, but Saudi Arabia held on for the win.

The result was Saudi Arabia’s first victory over South Korea for 21 years. Their previous wins came in both legs of their 2006 World Cup qualifying tie, when they prevailed 2-0 and 1-0 in 2005.

Friday’s match was the 19th meeting between the two nations in friendly and competitive football, following their first encounter in 1980.

Before this game, Saudi Arabia had won five of the previous 18 meetings, while South Korea had six victories and seven matches had ended in draws.

Saudi Arabia had gone six matches without beating South Korea, with the Koreans winning twice and four games being drawn, before ending that run in Doha.

The fixture was also the seventh friendly between the sides. South Korea had won two of the previous six, three had been drawn and Saudi Arabia had won once before Friday’s match.

Saudi Arabia’s most notable victory over South Korea came in the semi-final of the 2000 Asian Cup, when Talal Al-Meshal scored both goals in a 2-1 win.

Their most recent competitive meeting was in the last 16 of the 2023 Asian Cup. The game finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, before South Korea progressed to the quarter-finals by winning the penalty shootout.

Saudi Arabia will play Uzbekistan in their next friendly in Doha on Tuesday, 17 November 2026.