RIYADH — During the forthcoming international break in October, the Saudi Arabian national football team is scheduled to play two friendly games against Nigeria and Mali in Portugal.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia would play Mali on October 17 and Nigeria on October 13 at the Estádio do Drago in Porto, Portugal.
As part of the third stage of their training regimen for the forthcoming AFC Asian Cup in Qatar early next year, the Saudi national team will hold their training camp there.
Saudi Arabia lost 1-0 to South Korea in a recent friendly match in Newcastle after losing 3-1 to Costa Rica the previous Friday.
The Saudi national team's new coach, Italian Roberto Mancini, who came over barely a week before the Newcastle training camp, will be put to the test in these next friendlies in Portugal.
With numerous league rounds and Round 32 King's Cup matches set before the October camp, Mancini will have a better chance to evaluate the skills of the players in the Saudi Arabian league.
It's important to note that on November 21, 2023, in Amman, as part of the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Saudi national team will begin their official adventure with Mancini by playing Jordan.
