DOHA: Saudi Arabia defeated South Korea 3-2 on Friday in Doha to give head coach Georgios Donis and his team a deserved and confidence-boosting win in the team’s penultimate match of 2026.
Marwan Al-Sahafi put the Whites ahead just before the break only for Oh Hyeon-gyu to level just after. Second-half goals in quick succession from Mohamed Kanno and Abdulelah Al-Amri put Saudi Arabia in control. Lee Jae-sung pulled a goal back but this time, there was no equalizer.
While the postponement of the AFC Asian Cup from January to December 2027 may have robbed this fixture of some of its importance, both continental powerhouses fielded strong line-ups.
Donis opted to play Abdullah Al-Hamdan in a central role, with the Al-Nassr striker flanked by Mohammed Al-Qahtani and Al-Sahafi.
Both teams had chances in the early exchanges. Korea, coached by former Spain boss Robert Moreno, were looking to their star attacking talents such as captain Son Heung-min and Atletico Madrid’s Lee Kang-in to make something happen.
It was easier said than done and Saudi Arabia had the better of the first half, taking control after a fourth minute shot from Porto midfielder Hwang In-beom and soon after Al-Hamdan tried to break free of the Korean backline but shot straight at former Al-Shabab goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu.
