Saudi Arabia impressive in exciting win over South Korea

DOHA: Saudi Arabia defeated South Korea 3-2 on Friday in Doha to give head coach Georgios Donis and his team a deserved and confidence-boosting win in the team’s penultimate match of 2026.

Marwan Al-Sahafi put the Whites ahead just before the break only for Oh Hyeon-gyu to level just after. Second-half goals in quick succession from Mohamed Kanno and Abdulelah Al-Amri put Saudi Arabia in control. Lee Jae-sung pulled a goal back but this time, there was no equalizer.

While the postponement of the AFC Asian Cup from January to December 2027 may have robbed this fixture of some of its importance, both continental powerhouses fielded strong line-ups.