Saudi boss Donis reinforces Wissing’s standing with four Al-Ittihad call-ups

Georgios Donis has underlined his confidence in Jens Wissing by selecting four Al-Ittihad players for Saudi Arabia’s next international camp, despite the club’s difficult run of results.

The Saudi Arabia manager announced his final 30-man squad on Wednesday for friendly matches against South Korea and Uzbekistan on 13 and 17 November. The selection includes Al-Ittihad left-back Fares Abdi, midfielders Mukhtar Ali and Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, and right-winger Marwan Al-Sahafi.

The number of Al-Ittihad players chosen is up on the club’s representation in the Saudi Arabia squad for Gulf Cup 27, held during September and October.

Donis selected only two Al-Ittihad players for that tournament, one of them being Mukhtar Ali. The other was defender Hassan Kadesh, who misses the latest squad after sustaining an injury during the previous international break.

The latest selections point to the quality within Jens Wissing’s squad, even though Al-Ittihad have failed to win either of their last two matches.

They drew 1-1 with Abha in the Roshn Saudi League before suffering a heavy 4-1 defeat by Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates in the AFC Champions League Elite.

Despite those setbacks, Al-Ittihad are fourth in the Saudi league standings with 24 points. Their total has come from seven victories, three draws and one defeat.

Their only league loss was against leaders Al-Hilal, who are six points clear of Al-Ittihad at the top of the table.

The club’s position in continental competition is considerably weaker. Al-Ittihad are 10th in the West group of the AFC Champions League Elite with four points, having recorded one win and one draw alongside two defeats.

Saudi Arabia’s upcoming friendlies will see Donis assess his squad against South Korea on 13 November and Uzbekistan on 17 November. The increased presence of Al-Ittihad players gives Wissing further representation at international level while his side attempts to recover from its recent league and Asian setbacks.