Saudi Arabia’s scoring problems deepen despite Gulf Cup win under Donis

Saudi Arabia ended a three-match winless run with a 1-0 victory over Kuwait on Wednesday, but their attacking concerns remain unresolved under Greek coach Donis. The result came at Alinma Stadium in Jeddah in the opening round of Group A at the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup, with Saudi Arabia failing to score a goal of their own for the third consecutive match.

The only goal was an own goal by Yousef Al-Haqan, whose foot deflected Hamam Al-Hamami’s shot past the Kuwait goalkeeper. Saudi Arabia’s last goal scored by one of their own players came against Uruguay in the opening group match of the 2026 World Cup, a game that ended 1-1.

They also drew 0-0 with Senegal in their final friendly before the World Cup. That means Saudi Arabia have scored only once themselves in their past five matches. In seven games under Donis, they have scored six goals, fewer than one per match. Three of those came against Puerto Rico, ranked 154th in the world, while another was the own goal against Kuwait.

Donis points to finishing

After the Kuwait match, Donis said the attacking problem had existed since the World Cup and centred on the team’s failure to make the most of its opportunities. He said he did not possess a “magic wand” to improve the players’ finishing, while insisting work was continuing to address the issue.

The Greek coach said a lack of confidence and composure in front of goal was leading to poor decisions in the final and penultimate phases of attacks.

“We still suffer from the same problem since the World Cup,” Donis said. “We have possession, control the match and get the ball close to the opponent’s penalty area, but the final pass and the final decision are not the best.”

However, the available figures suggest the issue is not simply finishing. Against Cape Verde, who drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia, both sides wasted one major chance. Saudi Arabia managed seven shots, compared with 15 from their opponents, while their expected goals total was 0.39 against Cape Verde’s 1.39. The African side also had the greater share of possession and control.

Saudi Arabia’s performance was poorer in their 4-0 defeat by Spain. They registered only one shot on target, created no major chance and recorded expected goals of just 0.14.

Even in the 1-1 draw with Uruguay, Saudi Arabia produced only seven shots, three on target, compared with 27 from Uruguay. Their expected goals were 0.66 from one major chance, while Uruguay recorded 1.72 from two. Uruguay’s goalkeeper made two saves, whereas Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al-Owais made nine.

Changes in attack

The statistics indicate that Saudi Arabia have not created enough chances in the first place, rather than simply failing to convert them.

Donis has also made several changes in attack. Firas Al-Buraikan started as the striker at the World Cup, but Abdullah Al-Hamdan replaced him against Kuwait. Salem Al-Dawsari missed the Gulf Cup through injury, with Hamam Al-Hamami taking his place, while Saleh Abu Al-Shamat returned to the squad and started ahead of Sultan Mandash.

The changes also brought a tactical shift. Instead of relying mainly on counter-attacks, Donis used more crosses to exploit Al-Hamdan’s height and aerial ability. That approach failed to solve the problem and added to the confusion in an attack that continues to struggle under his management.