Saudi Arabia kicks off on Saturday its campaign for a fifth World Cup appearance when it hosts Iran at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia, which is in Group B in the final round of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, has concluded its preparations last week with a 2-1 friendly win over Qatar in Riyadh. The other teams in the group are South Korea, North Korea and the UAE. Saudi Arabia coach Nasser Al-Johar, who replaced the Brazilian Dos Anjos, believes that the final stage of the qualifiers requires a lot of hard work. Al-Johar, who had a training camp with his squad in Czech Republic last month, is under pressure from media which ask the Saudi Football Federation to sign with a well-known coach. “I am not afraid of Iran clash and all what I want is to win the game to prove that I am not an emergency coach,” Al-Johar said. He displayed some reports and CDs about all Iranian players in a press conference held in Riyadh. Al-Johar's task against Iran will not be easy after he included some new players. Hussain Sulimani, who joined Swiss team New Shatel this summer, is expected to start the match despite his absence in the all the friendly matches. Injuries will be a big concern for Al-Johar who is banking on injured Malek Al-Hawsawi up front alongside Yasser Al-Qahatni. Al-Shabab young striker Faisal Al-Sultan, who scored the winner against Qatar, is expected to replace Malek in Saturday's match. Saudi Players admitted that Iran clash will not be easy for both teams but their ambition to qualify for the World Cup for a fifth time will seal the win. “We have prepared very well for this game and I am sure that Iran did not come to Riyadh for joy but to win. But I am sure that Saudi team will cinch the three points at home,” said midfielder Abdo Atif. Striker Mohammed Al-Shahrani, who recently joined the squad, believes that a win against Iran will boost the team in the next games. “We have to know one thing, Iran match will not be a piece of cake. Both sides need the win which means a lot during the group campaign.” A full-strength Iran team arrived in Riyadh on Thursday, led by Frankfurt's Mehdi Mahdavikia and Bochum's Vahid Hashemian who were both absent in the first round of the World Cup qualifiers. Iran coach Ali Daei said that his team had a friendly match against Azerbaijan in one of the Islands that has similar climates of Riyadh. “Right now, my focus is on our match with Saudi Arabia and it will be a first step toward our qualification,” Ali Daei said. He added, “Saudi Arabia is our traditional opponent, with good players and team composition, but we have prepared well for this encounter. I have studied the team during their friendly matches and my players will work to shut out the Saudi strikers and their playmakers.” “The current group of players is the best in Iran. They are highly motivated, ambitious, and their only aim is the success of the national team,” he said. __
