DOHA — Roberto Mancini, the Italian coach of the Saudi Arabian national football team, has decided to call up players Mohammed Al-Buraik, Talal Haji, and Rayan Hamed to join the team's current training camp in Qatar. This camp is part of the final stage of their preparations for the 2023 Asian Cup, set to commence on January 12 in Qatar. Saudi Arabia secured a 1-0 victory over Lebanon in a closed-door friendly match at the Al Wakrah Stadium in Qatar on Thursday, as part of the teams' preparations for the upcoming tournament. The Saudi team's website announced that Firas Al-Buraikan scored the only goal for Mancini's team. The match was not televised and was held without an audience to maintain the secrecy of the preparations. Mancini relied on two different formations in each half, with Al-Buraikan's goal coming at the beginning of the second half. In other news, the team announced that player Ayman Yahya will miss group training sessions due to a treatment program following an ankle injury sustained in the friendly match against Lebanon. Meanwhile, players Ali Al-Bulayhi and Eid Al-Muwullad conducted special exercises with the medical team. The Saudi team resumed its training program on Friday morning at the camp in Sealine, Qatar, running from December 31 to January 11, as part of the final stage of their preparation for the 2023 Asian Cup. Mancini conducted a recovery session at the Sealine Resort, starting with warm-up exercises followed by mini-matches, and concluding with stretching exercises. Additionally, Mancini gave the players some free time after the training session, with a team gathering scheduled for the evening at the camp.
