Saudi Arabia’s football coach Saad Al-Shehri is blaming torrential rain for the kingdom’s loss to Iraq on Monday evening, which left the score 0-2.
Iraq defeated Saudi Arabia on Monday evening at the Basra International Stadium. The win pushed Iraq to the top of Group A, after two games in the Arabian Gulf Cup.
“We played beach ball…and I won’t win unless I have a basketball team,” Al-Shehri reportedly said blaming the height of the Iraqi striker, according to an article by Ariyadhiah. The coach also said that Iraq played a flowing style.
“We do not have that and I can not change my strategy, and the fitness level was a big differentiating factor- I think even had we played with the same team that won over Argentine we could not have won because we rely on possession and individual skill while the water drenched pitch does not allow that, we will deliver and beat Oman if we have a proper pitch,” he said.
Al-Shehri, who is also the first coach of the Saudi national team, also blamed the bad pitch of the Basra International Stadium, in order to pass the group stage of the “Gulf 25” championship.
“The three points must be secured in front of the points, when a satisfactory pitch is available we will achieve the expected result,” he added.
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