Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Jeddah: Saudi coach Frank Rijkaard aims to claim no less than a ticket to the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015™ finals and regain the crown which were theirs in three past occasions.
Tuesday’s preliminary draw in Melbourne pitted the Green Falcons in Group C against Iraq who beat them to the silverware in 2007, 2004 runners-up China PR and 2007 co-hosts Indonesia.
The 80s and 90s were the heyday for Saudi Arabia who won the championship in 1984, 1988 and again 1996 which places them as the second most successful nation in the continent’s flagship national team competition behind Japan who have won the title four times. They have also finished as the runners-up three times – in 1992, 2000 and 2007.
“Our group is not that much easy, but at the same time it is not completely difficult,” said former Barcelona boss Rijkaard (pictured).
"We are looking to take a ticket for the finals from this group, as we want to regain our place in the elite of Asian football.”
Saudi Arabia Football Federation’s national team committee chairman Muhammed Al Meshel has a different take on the team’s grouping, but similarly feels that the Australia 2015 qualifiers will provide them an opportunity to regain what they have lost in their recent World Cup qualifying campaign.
Having qualified for the World Cup four consecutive times ever since debuting at the 1994 tournament, the Al Saqour crashed out of Brazil 2014’s third qualifying round having won only one game out of six matches.
“Our group is very difficult as we will face teams like Iraq and China, but we want to regain what we lost after our exit from the World Cup third qualifying round,” Al Meshel said.
“The most important lesson we learnt from World Cup qualifying is not to underestimate any group, and I re-confirm that our group is the strongest.”
The West Asians will host China in their Asian Cup qualifying opening match on 6 February 2013.