Saudi Arabia's Surprise Stand-In: Rodrigues to Coach Comoros as Renard Heads to World Cup Draw
3 December 2025
Update on Saudi Arabia's Coaching Situation
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation confirmed that Francois Rodrigues, Renard's assistant, will coach the national team against Comoros on Friday in the second round of Group B at the Arab Cup in Qatar.
Rodrigues is set to hold a pre-match press conference on Thursday at the Qatar National Convention Centre to discuss the game.
Context and Next Steps
As a result, Hervé Renard will be absent from the lineup, traveling to Washington to attend the 2026 World Cup draw with federation president Yasser Al-Mishal. The draw is scheduled for the same day as the Comoros match.
Saudi Arabia opened their Arab Cup campaign with a 2-1 win over Oman on Tuesday, leaving them second in Group B on goal difference behind Morocco.
Two light punchlines: If Rodrigues leads the defense, expect confident touches and maybe a farewell to the bench.
In football, travel plans often end up in the wrong place—the airport gate, not the goal line.
