Saudi Arabia Loses Again to Bahrain in 2024 Gulf Cup Opener

Saudi Arabia Loses Again to Bahrain in 2024 Gulf Cup Opener – After losing to the Indonesian National Team, Saudi Arabia had to swallow another bitter pill. The team led by Herve Renard was forced to admit Bahrain’s superiority with a narrow score of 2-3 in the opening match of the 2024 Gulf Cup, which took place in the early hours of WIB, December 23, 2024, at the Jaber Al Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait.

Saudi Arabia Loses Again to Bahrain in 2024 Gulf Cup Opener

 

islschedule – In the first half, Saudi Arabia was two goals behind without reply. Bahrain managed to open the score through Hasan Abduljabbar and Mahdi Al Humaidan. In the second half, Saudi Arabia tried to rise and reduce the deficit through a goal scored by Musab Al Juwayr. However, Bahrain again increased its lead through a goal by Mohamed Marhoon.

Saudi Arabia again had the opportunity to get closer after Saleh Al Shehri successfully carried out his duties as penalty taker. Unfortunately, until the final whistle sounded, The Green Falcons were unable to equalize.

With this result, Saudi Arabia is in third place in Group B, just below Bahrain and Iraq, who managed to beat Yemen with a score of 1-0 in other matches.

Since the defeat by the Indonesian National Team on November 19, 2024, Saudi Arabia has not been able to win. In that match, they had to admit the superiority of the Garuda Troops with a score of 0-2 at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta. Thus, Herve Renard has not been able to provide a win in three official matches since taking over the coaching seat from Roberto Mancini, indicating a big challenge faced by the French coach to restore the team’s performance.

Although Saudi Arabia previously recorded a 3-1 victory over Trinidad and Tobago on December 17 in an international trial match, the result cannot be considered a significant achievement in official competitions.

Up ahead, Saudi Arabia is scheduled to play against Yemen on December 25, 2024, followed by a match against Iraq three days later. This match is crucial for them to show their best performance in the 2024 Gulf Cup. If they fail to achieve satisfactory results, Herve Renard’s position as coach could be threatened, similar to Roberto Mancini’s situation when the team struggled in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. Currently, Saudi Arabia is ranked fourth in Group C in the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian Zone, behind the Indonesian National Team which is in third place.

 

Read Also : Mengapa Minuman Alkohol Begitu Mahal

 

In March 2025, Saudi Arabia will face two important matches, against China at home and away to Japan. This will be a big test for the team and coach to prove their quality on the international stage.

Saudi Arabia again experienced a slump after losing 2-3 to Bahrain in the opening match of the 2024 Gulf Cup, which was held at the Jaber Al Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait, on Monday (23/12/2024) early morning WIB. In this match, Herve Renard’s troops were unable to recover after previously being defeated by the Indonesian National Team with a score of 0-2 on November 19, 2024 at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta.

In the first half, Saudi Arabia fell behind by two goals without reply after Bahrain scored goals through Hasan Abduljabbar and Mahdi Al Humaidan. Although Saudi Arabia managed to reduce the deficit in the second half through Musab Al Juwayr’s goal, Bahrain pulled away again thanks to Mohamed Marhoon’s goal. In this match, Saudi Arabia, despite fielding mainstay players such as Yasir Al Shahrani, Mohammed Kano, and Abdullah Radif, had to accept the bitter reality.

This is the third consecutive bad result for Saudi Arabia under the direction of Herve Renard, who has now failed to win in three official matches since replacing Roberto Mancini. Although Saudi Arabia managed to win 3-1 over Trinidad and Tobago in a friendly match on December 17, the result was not enough to erase the disappointment in the official competition.

Saudi Arabia will next face Yemen on Wednesday (25/12/2024) and Iraq three days later. If the team’s performance does not improve in the 2024 Gulf Cup, Herve Renard’s position as coach may be threatened, similar to Roberto Mancini’s fate when his team struggled in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

Saudi Arabia is currently in fourth place in Group C of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian Zone, losing to the Indonesian National Team which is in third place. In March 2025, Saudi Arabia will undergo two crucial matches against China and Japan.

 

Read Also : Marcus Rashford Considering Potential New Clubs

 

With the team’s poor results, questions have arisen regarding Herve Renard’s future as coach. The defeat to Bahrain left Saudi Arabia at the bottom of Group B without any points, while Bahrain leads with three points. In the last five matches, Saudi Arabia has not won, with two draws and three defeats. Under Herve Renard’s leadership, the team has only managed one draw and two defeats from three matches. After a debut draw against Australia, Saudi Arabia suffered defeats to Indonesia and Bahrain, extending the poor record that continues to haunt them.
The results of this match are certainly a source of concern for Saudi Arabia who are struggling in the 2026 World Cup Qualification process for the Asian zone. Herve Renard’s troops must immediately recover after suffering a defeat from the Indonesian National Team.

Realizing the threatening situation, Herve Renard gave a dig at the Saudi Arabian National Team players after the match against Bahrain. The French coach conveyed his opinion in a press conference session.

“Every player must realize how much the Saudi Arabian national team logo means,” Herve Renard said in a press conference after the Saudi Arabia vs Bahrain match, as quoted from @football_li5.

If Saudi Arabia loses again in their meeting with Yemen on the second matchday of Group B of the 2024 Gulf Cup on Wednesday, December 25, 2024, at 21.25 WIB, it is almost certain that Herve Renard will lose his position as coach of the Saudi Arabian National Team. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) certainly does not want their national team to continue to achieve disappointing results.