Italian Roberto Mancini began his career as coach of the Saudi national team with a loss to Costa Rica 1-3, on Friday, in a friendly match as part of the “Green” preparations for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and the 2024 Asian Cup finals.
Al-Akhdar’s only goal was scored by Ali Al-Bulaihi (68), and Costa Rica’s hat-trick was Francisco Calvo (12), Brandon Aguilera (32) and Randall Layal (89).
Mancini (58 years old), who replaced Luciano Spalletti, shocked the world of football in general and the Italian in particular with his decision to resign from coaching his country’s national team, which he led in the summer of 2021 to win the European Cup at the expense of England by defeating them on penalties in its stronghold, Wembley.
Days after Mancini’s resignation, the Saudi Federation announced a four-year contract with him, while press reports stated that his salary would reach up to 30 million euros annually.
The match was held at the St. James Park stadium of the English club Newcastle, owned by the Public Investment Fund, and witnessed the presence of Saudi fans, most of whom were students pursuing their studies there.
Quickly, the Costa Rican national team succeeded in opening the scoring when Calvo rose to a cross from a free kick and headed it into the goal (12).
Costa Rica almost doubled the score had it not been for the ingenuity of Hassan Timbukti, who replaced goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi and cleared the ball before it entered the goal (15). Al-Akhdar had a chance to equalize, but Salem Al-Dosari’s ball went over the crossbar after colliding with a defender (27).
The Costa Rican team added the second goal when Aguilera followed up on a cross played to the right of Nawaf Al-Aqidi (32), and Al-Akhdar was close to reducing the difference had it not been for the brilliance of goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who blocked the balls of Mohammed Kanu and then Salem Al-Dosari (39).
In the second half, Nawaf Al-Aqidi saved his goal from a third goal when he blocked a dangerous ball and caught it in two passes (56), before Ali Al-Bulaihi intervened at the right time and blocked the dangerous ball (61). Navas continued his brilliance when he blocked Salem Al-Dosari’s ball before it hit the crossbar (67).
From the same corner, “Al-Akhdar” succeeded in scoring when Firas Al-Braikan prepared a ball for defender Ali Al-Bulaihi, who headed it into the goal (68).
The Saudi team was close to adjusting, had it not been for the ingenuity of Navas, who blocked Salem Al-Dosari’s ball (73), and the “Green” team intensified its attacks in order to achieve an equalizer, so it had an opportunity to do so, but substitute Fahad Al-Muwallad’s header crossed the crossbar (88).
A minute before the end, and due to a defensive lapse, Costa Rica was able to add a third goal when Randall Layal snatched the ball, faced the goal, and sent it powerfully to the right of Al-Aqidi.
2023-09-08 23:34:29
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