The Saudi Arabian U-23 national team, known as the "Olympic Green Falcons," is intensifying its technical and physical preparations under the guidance of Italian coach Luigi Di Biagio, in anticipation of the upcoming continental competition. The Green Falcons are set to face Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah. This opening match is part of Group A in the AFC U-23 Championship, a tournament that garners significant attention as it serves as a primary feeder system for the senior national team.
Italian coach Luigi Di Biagio, who boasts extensive experience in European football, aims to combine disciplined Italian tactics with the individual skills of the Saudi players to prepare the national team in the best possible way. The coaching staff hopes for a strong start by securing three points in the opening match, which would provide a significant morale boost for the players as they strive to progress to the later stages of the tournament, especially since a strong start is always key to controlling the group standings.
Regarding the squad list, the Saudi sports community is placing high hopes on the young players selected by Di Biagio. The list includes 23 players representing the elite talents of the Saudi league. The players named are: Hamed Yousef, Turki Baljosh, Muhannad Al-Yahya, Mohammed Abdulrahman, Awad Dahal, Sulaiman Hazazi, Mohammed Al-Dossari, Khaled Al-Asiri, Abdulrahman Al-Obaid, Mohammed Barnawi, Salem Al-Najdi, Yassin Al-Zubaidi, Abdulmalik Al-Jaber, Musab Al-Juwair, Fares Al-Ghamdi, Faisal Al-Subiani, Rakan Al-Ghamdi, Hammam Al-Hamami, Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa, Abdulrahman Sufyani, Majed Abdullah, Thamer Al-Khaibri, and Abdullah Radif. Notable names like Musab Al-Juwair and Abdullah Radif stand out, having previously delivered impressive performances for their clubs and youth national teams.
This match is particularly important given the strength of the competition in Group A, which, in addition to Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan, includes Jordan and Vietnam, two of the most developed teams in Asian football. Therefore, a victory in Jeddah, in front of the Saudi fans, is essential to securing one of the early qualification spots.
Historically, the Saudi Arabia U-23 national team is considered one of the strongest in Asia, having previously won the AFC U-23 Championship in 2022. This places a responsibility on the current generation to maintain the Kingdom's footballing achievements and reputation. These tournaments represent a golden opportunity to hone young talents and prepare them to be the backbone of the senior national team in upcoming international competitions, including World Cup qualifiers and major continental tournaments.
