There was good news and bad news for Saudi Arabia in the draw for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2022 qualifiers.
The bad news is that they have been drawn in a tough group with Uzbekistan, Kuwait and Bangladesh and with only the winner guaranteed a place in the tournament. There will be little room for error when the qualification campaign is played October 23-31, 2021.
The good news, however, is that Uzbekistan are the hosts of next year’s tournament and results against the Central Asian powerhouse will not be counted in determining the rankings of Group D or the best five-second placed teams that go through from the 11 groups. In effect, the young Falcons will just have to finish above Kuwait and Bangladesh to top the group.
Given that Uzbekistan were champions in 2018 and reached the last four last year, this is good news indeed, especially as in normal circumstances the young White Wolves would have been looking for revenge after the senior side recently lost out to Saudi Arabia in qualification for the 2022 World Cup. Fans in Riyadh, Jeddah and elsewhere will be entitled to demand that their team, finalist in 2020 and ranked second in Asia behind South Korea, finish above Bangladesh and Kuwait even though the games will take place in Kuwait City.
One factor boosting Saudi Arabia’s chances is that the team will have had the benefit of playing at the Olympics this year. The Under-23 team (well, Under-24 in regard to the Tokyo games as they have been delayed by a year) has already been together for over a month. The players have spent a training camp in Spain, featuring games against Mexico and Argentina, and then returned home for twin tests against Uganda and have just headed off to Romania for a final tune-up before Japan.
It will be tough in Japan, with group games against Ivory Coast, Brazil and Germany, but one thing is certain — it will offer an extended preparation period that few teams in Asia will have for the 2022 AFC U-23 Championship.
Coach Saad Al-Shehri has a four-year contract and is in for the long-haul, assuming that he survives the Olympics. The studious tactician knows that after Tokyo the team will need new blood but this can be a gradual process.
The 41-year-old will also not have to deal with the distraction of which three over-age players to select, as is the case at the Olympics. Al-Shehri has come in for some criticism of his choices. While few quibble with the choices of Salman Al-Faraj or Salem Al-Dawsari, there have been a few eyebrows raised about the inclusion of a third Al-Hilal “wildcard” in the form of Yasser Al-Sharani. Some have argued that the full-back could have been left at home in favour of extra firepower that could be provided by exciting Al-Ittihad star Fahad Al-Muwallad. There has also been a clamour for an extra striker such as Al Nassr’s Firas Al-Buraikan.
Al-Buraikan may get his chance on Oct. 27 against Uzbekistan. It is hard to say whether it is desirable to face the 2018 champions first, but it does perhaps give the coach an opportunity to rest some players. With the second game coming just two days later, and the third two days after that, there will have to be some serious squad management.
As the game against the Uzbeks is little more than a friendly, there is no need to go all out. The decisive match comes 48 hours later against the hosts. Kuwait will need to be sure of taking three points off Bangladesh in the opener and will have to field its strongest team against Saudi Arabia.
The Blues are struggling to produce the talent that led them to the upper reaches of Asian football in the late 1970s and early 1980s and have only appeared at one of the previous four U-23 tournaments, back in 2013. Despite being host of their group two years ago, they finished well off the pace in third, four points behind Syria and Jordan.
Bangladesh is improving but will be delighted just to avoid two defeats. The Saudis, even if resting a few players, should be able to get the three points and clinch first place in the group and, more importantly, a place at next year’s tournament. The Olympics and the healthy preparation period should provide the solid foundation that all coaches dream of. It won’t be, and shouldn’t be, easy but it would be a huge surprise if Saudi Arabia is not back at the U-23 Asian Cup next year.
