JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia missed multiple opportunities to advance in the AFC qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup after a goalless draw against Bahrain at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah. The match, part of the third group stage, followed draws between Japan and Australia and a victory for China over Indonesia. Captain Salem Al-Dawsari missed a penalty, further extending the disappointing results for coach Roberto Mancini's team in recent matches. After four matches, Saudi Arabia has accumulated five points, trailing Australia on goal difference and ahead of Bahrain, who sits in fourth place. Following a 2-0 loss to Japan in the previous round, the Saudi Football Federation announced that free tickets would be made available to fans in the general seating area of the stadium to support the national team, but the crowd left disappointed. While fans hoped for a breakthrough through a penalty awarded after a VAR review, Bahrain's goalkeeper Ibrahim Lutfi saved Al-Dawsari's shot in the 20th minute. Bahrain adopted a solid defensive strategy, closing off spaces for Saudi players while relying on counterattacks that posed little threat to goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar. The second half saw no improvement, with substitute Abdullah Radeef attempting a long-range shot before cutting in from the left and firing a weak effort that was easily handled by Lutfi ten minutes before the final whistle.
