Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – The Saudi national team defeated Iceland, 1-0, in a friendly match at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, on Sunday evening, as part of the third stage of the Green Preparatory Program for the 2022 World Cup.
This is the second victory for the Saudi team in the Abu Dhabi field, which had previously defeated Macedonia with a clear goal, while they had drawn 1-1 with Albania and negative with Honduras.
Reactions to Al-Akhdar’s victory over Iceland varied, with some praising the team’s performance, while others asked manager Herve Renard to review options for core line-up and playing style, prior to start of the World Cup in Qatar.
Player Salman Al-Faraj’s injury has caused concern among Saudi fans, especially after just two weeks into World Cup competitions.
Al-Faraj fell to the ground in the 40th minute of the first half, suffering from a serious shoulder injury, to be replaced by Ayman Yahya, who will undergo a medical examination, and then the nature of his injury will be revealed.
Here are the most important reactions:
