The dilemma up front for the Saudis

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With a little over a month to go for Asia’s most coveted tournament to kick-off, Saudi Arabia’s head coach Juan Antonio Pizzi is yet to find an answer to the problem that’s haunting them since Sami Al-Jaber retired – who can take over as the core striker(s) within the set-up.

It was evident (from the recently held mega 4-team event named the Super Clasico) that the national team lacked a clear-cut striker. This also resulted in Pizzi testing and placing different non-strikers in that very role along with changing tactics from a 4-5-1 to a 4-6 adapting to the situation on hand given the capabilities of the players and the depth he has within his squad. 

A question that is occasionally being raised is which of the two (natural talent or training) is significant, with many debating a mix of the two provides for the best possible solution.

Majority of the Saudi national team supporters do not care about an athlete being born in the Kingdom or being given the citizenship based on the player’s talents. For them the important aspect is that the striker (in this case) can lead the team in the offense and deliver goals that convert into potential wins. 

Unfortunately, the clubs also tend to rely heavily on foreign strikers due to lack of local talent, and there are many indicators to why clubs prefer to take that route. The goal-scoring table of the Mohammed bin Salman league (previously known as the Saudi Pro League) has been dominated by foreign strikers in the past four years after Nasser Al-Shamrani topped the table in 2013/2014 season.

At the rate the current season is being played at, all signs point towards the fact that a foreign striker will end up taking the golden boot home. The domestic talent presently in contention include Al-Hazem’s 25-year-old Mohammed Al-Saiari who has netted five goals and Ittihad’s Fahd Al-Muwallad and Al-Shabab’s Nasser Al-Shamrani who are currently behind Al-Saiari with four goals each.

Mohammed Al-Saiari is on a reinvigorated career path with Al-Hazem with a few more goals in upcoming matches potentially raising his profile in the eyes of Pizzi while Fahd, just like his club side, is facing an uphill battle to prove his worth within the national team set-up.

At 35, Al-Shamrani is the only consistent striker season after season, when he is healthy, who has managed to score, but it is surprising that the manager Juan Antonio Pizzi is yet to include Nasser Al-Shamrani in his plans.

Few may justify that Pizzi prefers to rely on younger players at this stage, but how can you justify bringing in 41-year-old left winger Hussein Abdul Ghani back into the set up but would refuse to bring in the experienced Al-Shamrani if not for the game time but for motivating the younger colleagues.

Similar sentiment by Saudi journalist Motaz Al-Duaij who believes Al-Shamrani could be the temporary solution for the team with his presence benefiting the less experienced.

“As the Asian Cup closes in, including Nasser Al-Shamrani in the team is necessary but should be seen as a "temporary" fix. His presence will only help young and talented players like Haroune Camara gain experience and confidence up front which is important given the potential role he could play as the striker up front in the longer run,” said Al-Duaij.

On the other hand, few believe that the exclusion of these players from the national team is justified for the Asian Cup as they have not lived up to their expectations.

“Al-Shamrani and Al-Sahlawi have not played at the levels that would warrant a spot in Pizzi’s squad and it continues to be unconvincing so I do not think they should be called up into the team at this point,” says Ayed Al-Rashidi, a sports journalist based in Riyadh.

While there are efforts at grassroots levels, there must be a synergy between MBS clubs and the Federation to address this problem through a project aimed at discovering talents across the various spectrums including schools, amateur and local clubs and then upgrading their talents through the help of General Authority for Sports. 

As blissful as patience can be, it is running out. The squad needs to resort to immediate solution prior to the Asian Cup in January. The only viable option as it stands is to strengthen our confidence on more experienced strikers like Nasser Al-Shamrani and Mohammed Al-Sahlawi to return to the Saudi team.