Saudi Arabia national team captain Salem Al-Dawsari celebrate after scoring for his side in the 1-0 victory over China in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Thursday
Saudi Arabia’s national team secured a narrow 1-0 victory over 10-man China in the Asian 2026 World Cup qualifiers at Riyadh’s Al-Awwal Park on Thursday, reviving their qualifying campaign.
Veteran captain Salem Al-Dawsari delivered the decisive blow early in the second half to secure the crucial victory for the Green Falcons.
China started the game aggressively, with Xie Wenning testing the Saudi defense early. However, the hosts responded swiftly as Musab Al-Juwayr fired wide in the 15th minute, while Nawaf Al-Bushail’s curling strike rattled the crossbar.
China’s Goalkeeper Shines
China’s goalkeeper Wang Dalei shone brightly, blocking Jiang Shenglong’s accidental own-goal attempt and denying Firas Al-Buraikan just before halftime. Saudi Arabia thought they had taken the lead when Faisal Al-Ghamdi bundled the ball over the line in the 37th minute. However, VAR ruled it out for handball.
The first half ended poorly for China as Lin received a straight red card after he caught defender Hassan Kadish in the face with his boot. This left China with ten players for the remainder of the match.
Dominant Performance After Halftime
Saudi Arabia pressed relentlessly after the break, though Wang thwarted Al-Dawsari’s initial attempt, but the skipper capitalized in the 50th minute. He pounced on a rebound from Ayman Yahya’s saved shot, slotting home calmly.
Nasser Al-Dawsari and Yahya later threatened to double the lead, but the Green Falcons comfortably held their advantage.
The victory moved Herve Renard’s men into third place in Group C with 9 points, one point behind second-placed Australia in the battle for the second automatic qualification spot. Moreover, they are three points clear of Indonesia, Bahrain, and China.
On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia will face Japan, who already secured a berth in the World Cup finals after securing the group top spot with 19 points.
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