Bold GK Drill and a Fresh Spirit: Saudi Green Prep for Indonesia Showdown
5 October 2025
Preparations for the Saudi national team are underway in a focused camp in Jeddah, as the squad readies for the Asia qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The team’s goal is to secure a direct ticket by topping the group, or advance through a playoff if needed, with a professional, tested approach to reach the global finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Non-traditional plan
The coaching staff, led by Frenchman Hervé Renard, has introduced an unconventional training method to test goalkeeper readiness. In recent sessions, the goalkeeping coach used three different balls—instructional official ball, a US ball, and a smaller ball—an approach that drew praise from observers who called it an innovative way to boost GK performance.
The aim of sporting diversity here is to improve reaction time and response speed when facing balls of varied sizes and weights. The coaching staff argues that varying balls sharpens concentration as well as mental and technical skills in decisive moments.
In the latest session, four players were tested on flexibility and reaction speed: Mohammad Al-Rubaei, Ragid Al-Najar, Nawaf Al-Aqidi, and Abdul Rahman Al-Sanabi, demonstrating the squad’s commitment to preparing every element to the highest standard before the playoff push.
Alarming challenges for the Green coach
Despite the high concentration at the camp, goalkeeping remains a specific challenge for Renard due to limited playing time for the keepers at their clubs this season.
Nawaf Al-Aqidi has played only one 90-minute match for his club before an injury sidelined him, while Ragid Al-Najar has appeared in two matches (180 minutes total). Abdul Rahman Al-Sanabi and Al-Yami have yet to feature in any official games, making this position a focal point for the staff.
Al-Aqidi, 25, recently recovered from a muscle tear suffered at a Czech camp in late August and is now fit to face Indonesia. Media reports describe this as a strong boost for the Green ahead of the period’s crucial ties.
With 13 international caps, Al-Aqidi has conceded 16 goals and kept clean sheets in five of those appearances, marking him as a key option given the international inexperience of the other keepers in the squad.
European duo arrival and renewed spirit
Saudi winger Saud Abdul Hamid, from Lens, and winger Marwan Al-Sahfi from Antwerp are due to arrive in Jeddah Sunday afternoon after completing obligations with their clubs. They will join the team’s training group immediately and are expected to contribute both defensively and offensively with their European experience.
Renard places high hopes on the duo’s speed and versatility, viewing them as essential components of his tactical philosophy as the team eyes the two decisive matches.
Players in the camp are feeling positive, and there is a palpable energy during training sessions. The “American ball” experiment is seen as part of a broader plan to elevate mental and physical readiness, especially given the fixture list’s difficulty and the quality of Asian playoff opponents.
Punchlines aside, the squad’s aim remains clear: push hard, stay sharp, and pretend the scoreboard is a mirror—one that doesn’t lie about your reflexes. If the goalkeepers sharpen quickly enough, the goalposts might even applaud themselves. And if not, at least the popcorn stays warm in the stands.
