Roberto Mancini Calls Meeting With The Indonesian National Team A Difficult Match For Saudi Arabia

Roberto Mancini does not want to underestimate the Indonesian national team (Instagram/@mrmancini10).

JAKARTA - The coach of the Saudi Arabian national team, Roberto Mancini, gave his views on the inaugural match of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers against the Indonesian national team. He said it would be a difficult match for his team.

Saudi Arabia and the Indonesian national team were both in Group C in the Third Round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification. This meeting will be held on Friday, September 6, 2024, early morning WIB, at King Abdullah Stadium, Jeddah.

If you look at the residents of Group C filled with Saudi Arabia, Japan, Australia, Bahrain, and China, the Indonesian national team is the lowest resident of FIFA rankings.

Even so, Mancini said that the meeting with the Indonesian national team did not necessarily run easily.

"The match will be difficult and we really understand the Indonesian national team well. The first match is always difficult and we want to start this qualifying round well," Mancini said as quoted by Sport 360 on Thursday, September 5, 2024.

Meanwhile, Mancini has also prepared the best provisions. He said that Saudi Arabia had studied the Indonesian national team in detail. They even know the development of the Indonesian national team in recent years.

"We know our opponents well and know their development in the last 10 years. However, we certainly have to be confident and continue to improve our abilities."

"To be able to win, we must give everything we have. We also need support from supporters in Jeddah," said Mancini.