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Saudi Arabia v Uruguay: Group H - FIFA World Cup 2026Getty Images Sport
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"We did not perform at the hoped-for level": Saudi Arabia striker justifies the drop against Kuwait

Abdullah Al-Hamdan was delighted. The Saudi Arabia striker hailed his side's 1-0 win over Kuwait on Wednesday in the opening round of the "Gulf 21" tournament, and now he wants the victories to keep coming.

Speaking to "Al-Kass", Al-Hamdan said: "We congratulate the Saudi people on the win, and hard luck to the Kuwait team. The win is important and we needed it."

He admitted Saudi Arabia had fallen short of the level they had hoped for, putting it down to the nature of opening matches, which he reckons are always tricky. Better is on the way, he insisted.

"We were not bad, we reached the opponent's goal, and we need to improve on certain things, and with time we will perform better," Al-Hamdan added.

Saudi Arabia sit top of Group One after the first round with three points, two clear of Oman and Iraq, who drew 1-1. Kuwait are yet to get off the mark.

Next up for Saudi Arabia is a second-round meeting with Oman on Saturday, while Iraq take on Kuwait.

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