Saudi Arabia take on the visitors China in the round 7 match of the Third Stage of World Cup Qualification in Asia. The match will be played on Thursday, March 20th at King Saud University Stadium (Riyadh).
Saudi Arabia parts ways with Roberto Mancini and brings back Hervé Renard. With great difficulty and at a cost of $25 million, Saudi Arabia has finally parted ways with Roberto Mancini, reinstating Hervé Renard as head coach. The Frenchman had previously left to manage the French women’s Olympic team after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. His return came just in time for the final World Cup qualifiers in November, where the Green Falcons were controversially denied a win in Australia (0-0) after a disallowed goal and then surprisingly collapsed in Jakarta against Indonesia (0-2), despite creating numerous chances. As a result, Saudi Arabia currently sits fourth in Group C, just one point behind the top two, making the upcoming clash with China crucial. A significant loss for the hosts will be midfielder Mohammed Kanno, who suffered a thigh injury—he was the key link between attack and defense. However, Renard has had time over the winter break to reestablish his philosophy and work closely with his squad, most of whom play domestically.
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China views Kanno’s injury as a stroke of luck, but the 2002 World Cup participants remain heavy underdogs in this fixture. They barely advanced to the decisive Asian qualifying round, edging past Thailand on goal difference. Comprised entirely of domestic league players, the team underwent a coaching change last year, bringing in Branko Ivanković, who had spent four years developing football in Oman before taking the China job for a higher salary. After a disastrous start—losing 0-7 to Japan, 1-2 to Saudi Arabia at home, and 1-3 to South Korea—they bounced back with a 2-1 home win over Indonesia in a closely contested match, followed by a shocking away victory in Bahrain. A predictable 1-3 home loss to Japan followed, leaving them at six points, theoretically within reach of the top two but still at the bottom of the group. In terms of quality, they are not expected to finish higher than fourth. Ahead of the match in Riyadh, China has bolstered its squad with the debut of naturalized Brazilian midfielder Serginho, alongside promising youngsters Wang Yidong and Liu Chengyu. Notably, they enter this game without any major injury concerns.
The outcome should remain the same. Saudi Arabia is a much stronger team, playing at home, and even under the struggling Mancini, they managed to beat China 2-1 away despite being down to ten men. Now, with Renard back in charge and having had time to reconnect with his squad, the Green Falcons should perform even better. Other than Kanno’s absence, they have a full-strength lineup, and their high-intensity, aggressive style should overwhelm a Chinese side that lacks experience at this level. A home win by at least one goal looks highly likely.
Prediction for the match: Saudi Arabia to win.
