The Saudi Arabian U-23 national team continued their intensive preparations in Jeddah on Sunday, ahead of their participation in the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship, which Saudi Arabia is hosting until January 24. These preparations are taking place amidst significant media and public interest, given that the tournament is being held in the Kingdom and in front of the home crowd.
The Saudi national team players held their evening training session at the King Abdullah Sports City (The Shining Jewel) auxiliary stadium, under the guidance of Italian head coach Luigi Di Biagio and his coaching staff. During the session, the Italian coach focused on physical conditioning to improve fitness levels, followed by various tactical drills emphasizing building from the back and high pressing. The session concluded with a full-field scrimmage to assess the readiness of the starting players.
In a related context, there were forced changes to the national team's roster, as coach Luigi Di Biagio decided to exclude player Abdulmalik Al-Jaber from the camp due to medical unreadiness. In contrast, player Bassam Hazazi was called up to join the Green squad, to strengthen the attacking options before the start of the Asian campaign.
This edition of the tournament holds paramount importance for Saudi football, as the national team seeks to capitalize on home advantage and the support of their fans to compete strongly for the continental title. The Kingdom's hosting of this event is part of the significant sporting development underway in the country, and reaffirms Saudi Arabia's position as a leading destination for continental and international tournaments. This places a heightened responsibility on the players and coaching staff to deliver performances befitting the rapid advancement of Saudi sports.
On another note, the organizing committee for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, represented by the Asian Football Confederation, held a welcome meeting for the Saudi national team delegation at their Jeddah residence. The meeting included a detailed explanation of the tournament regulations, a review of the latest updates to the Laws of the Game, and an emphasis on the standards of integrity and sportsmanship during matches.
The Saudi national team is scheduled to conclude its field preparations on Monday evening, in preparation for the anticipated match against the Kyrgyz national team on Tuesday evening, as part of the first round of the fiery Group A, which also includes the national teams of Vietnam and Jordan, making a strong start a fundamental requirement to ensure passage to the knockout stages.
