Saudi Arabia midfielder Faisal Al-Ghamdi discusses Saudi Arabia’s qualification hopes, the return of Herve Renard and the upcoming game with Indonesia.
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Faisal Al-Ghamdi is impressing for Saudi Arabia
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Midfielder is enthused by the return of former coach Herve Renard
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He wants his side to “give everything” in upcoming Indonesia clash
Facing Australia in Melbourne was no easy task for Saudi Arabia. With jet lag and nearly 28,000 spectators coming to support one of the strongest teams in the Asian qualifiers, the Green Falcons faced a crucial and difficult match in the race for FIFA World Cup 26™ qualification.
Faisal Al-Ghamdi, who plays Beerschot in Belgium on loan from Al-Ittihad, was one of the players who faced up to this challenge under intense scrutiny, thanks to the return of head coach Herve Renard.
Leading Saudi Arabia for the remaining qualifiers, Renard previously guided his side to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, where they achieved a historic 2-1 victory over eventual winners Argentina in the opening match of the group stage.
Al-Ghamdi and his team-mates gave a positive performance, especially during the first half where they were the more proactive side. The game finished goalless, with the result keeping them right in the mix for a place at the finals, as they sit third on six points, level with Australia and China PR either side of them.
The Green Falcons always aims for the heights of glory in Asia, and as three-time champions of the continent, how could they not? They have qualified for the FIFA World Cup™ six times, tied with Iran as the third-most successful side in Asia behind Korea Republic with 11 and Japan with seven. It’s only natural that the 23-year-old has immense pride in wearing his country’s shirt and expresses his desire to lead them in years to come.
The best feeling for a footballer is singing the national anthem on the world stage at the FIFA World Cup”, Al Ghamdi said. “If you ask any player about their best moments, they will be about representing their country.”
He has never hidden his deep passion for being part of the Green Falcons setup. Fans believe he is a future star of their rapidly developing team and he relishes taking on that role.
“I want to be a part of the team and I will give it everything. I’m holding nothing back!” he said. “I want to help my team-mates achieve positive results, because football is a team sport that relies on everyone playing their part. Every training session counts and that’s something the entire team believes, along with the coaching staff”.
The Saudi team are optimistic about their chances, thanks in no small part to the timely return of Renard. The Frenchman is popular with fans thanks to his great track record with the country, as Al-Ghamdi explains:
“Coach Renard knows Saudi football well. He’s said to the press that he continued to follow Saudi Arabia even after he left. It’s helped make his return easier as he knows us well and understands how to utilise our potential and harness it to benefit the team”.
Of course, there isn’t much time to prepare, as crucial matches for the Asian Qualifiers continue ahead of the 2026 global showpiece. The Saudi team face Indonesia on Tuesday in another difficult away match, just days after facing Australia.
“Against Indonesia, we must be completely ready and willing to give everything,” Al-Ghamdi continued. “We are unified in our end goal, which is to qualify for the World Cup. Things are going really well, everyone is aware of how important this stage of qualification is and we’re doing all we can.
“Talking about our current position is not the most important thing right now. We need to focus on the results of our upcoming games because winning all of them will be enough to secure our qualifying ticket to the World Cup. We just need to focus on those matches”.
Al-Ghamdi is in the middle of a positive run at Beerschot, where he has started all seven of his matches so far. He caught everyone’s eye with his perfect assist to team-mate Marwan Al-Sahafi against Club Brugge, one of Belgium’s top clubs.
“Different experiences help you develop and move your game up a level,” he admitted. “There is the opportunity to play in different environments and with different tactics. The Belgian League is a different place to learn football and I’m hoping that playing there helps my game improve.”
