Mancini announces 30 players preliminary list for Asian Cup

In preparation for the upcoming 2023 Asian Cup, Saudi Arabia’s national football team, led by coach Roberto Mancini, has unveiled a preliminary squad of 30 players.

The team is set to undergo a preparatory camp in Qatar from December 31 to January 11 as part of their fourth-phase training. During this camp, Saudi Arabia will engage in three friendly matches, facing Lebanon on January 4, Palestine on January 9, and Hong Kong on January 10.

Among the players called up by Mancini are notable names such as Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Salem Al-Dawsari, and Fahad Al-Muwallad. Having already played six friendlies in the preceding preparation stages against teams like Venezuela, Bolivia, Costa Rica, South Korea, Nigeria, and Mali, the national team is gearing up for a rigorous training regime.

In addition to their friendly matches, the Saudi team competed in two matches during the first round of the second phase of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, facing Pakistan and Jordan. The team is scheduled to depart for Qatar on Sunday, departing from King Khalid International Airport to Doha International Airport.

Saudi Arabia finds itself in Group Six of the 2023 Asian Cup, joined by the national teams of Oman, Kyrgyzstan, and Thailand. The anticipation builds as the squad continues its intensive preparation for the prestigious tournament in January.