At the pre-match press conference for the World Cup qualifying Asian 18-team match between China and Saudi Arabia at the Barracuda Bay Football Stadium in Dalian on September 9, Saudi Arabia's head coach Roberto Mancini, who was joined by player Saleh Al-Shehri, expressed a cautious but firm attitude about the upcoming match.
Mancini began by giving high praise to the Chinese team, believing that despite their loss in the last match, they are still a strong team that cannot be ignored. He emphasized: "The strength of the Chinese team in the match is not to be underestimated, and even though they lost the last match, I believe they will play better in this match. Therefore, we must go all out and try to get every scoring opportunity."
Salih Shehri further elaborated on the enormity of the match: "It will be a tough battle for us on the home ground of the Chinese team. The cheering of the Chinese fans will put a lot of pressure on us, but we are used to playing under pressure. Our goal is clear, and that is to try to get points."
In response to the introduction of big-name foreign players into the Saudi league that may crowd out the space for local players, Mancini expressed his concern and hoped that in the future, Saudi players will get more opportunities to play in their own teams in order to promote the development of local soccer.
Talking about the team's attacking training, Mancini revealed that the Saudi team is strengthening the relevant training to improve the ability to grasp absolute chances. He emphasized, "In a game, if we can take advantage of five or six chances to score goals, it will be very beneficial to us. We are training intensively to ensure that we can make better use of these chances in the upcoming matches."
Regarding the result of China's loss to Japan in their last match, Roberto Mancini said that it will not affect his judgment on the Chinese team. He believes that the Chinese national team they will face tomorrow will be a new look team, so the Saudis cannot take it lightly. He emphasized, "We will try to score goals to take the lead in tomorrow's match and try to take away three points."
Speaking about how to deal with the possible problems of the Chinese defense, Mancini said that the Saudi team will work together as a whole and fight for victory as they did in the second half of the game against Indonesia. He also said that he is not particularly concerned about the Chinese team's formation or tactical arrangements, but is more focused on the Saudi team's own play and the goal of victory.
Throughout the conference, both Roberto Mancini and Saleh Al-Shehri showed their full preparation and firm confidence in the match. They are well aware of the difficulties and challenges of playing at home in China, but also believe that the Saudi team is capable of overcoming all difficulties and achieving their goals for the tournament.
