The Saudi Arabian youth national team kicked off its campaign in the FIFA U-20 World Cup with a 1–0 defeat against Colombia in the opening match of Group F.

? Match Highlights:

  • ? 65th minute: Defender Saud Haroun made a costly error, which Colombian forward Óscar Perea capitalized on to score the match’s only goal.

    ⚽ 70th minute: Saudi Arabia thought they had equalized through a brilliant shot by Thamer Al-Khaibari, but the goal was ruled offside.

     

     Tactical Notes:

    15th minute: Midfielder Saad Haqawi was forced off due to injury and replaced by Ammar Hamad.

    • Coach Marcos Soares (Brazilian) fielded a lineup featuring:

        • Goalkeeper: Hamed Youssef

        • Defense: Nawaf Ghalimish, Mohammed Barnawi, Saud Haroun, Awad Aman

        • Midfield: Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, Bassam Hazzazi, Farhat Al-Shamrani, Saad Haqawi

        • Attack: Thamer Al-Khaibari, Rakan Al-Ghamdi

      Despite a balanced first half, the team couldn’t recover from the defensive lapse and now sits third in the group with zero points

    • Upcoming Fixtures:

      • Next match: Saudi Arabia vs Nigeria – early Friday morning

      • Other Group F match: Norway vs Colombia – Thursday